The Boy From The Stars
by TheCandyChild
Summary: Miku Hatsune's dull, black and white life gets a sudden splash of color when a strange boy appears at the door, beaten and on the verge of collapsing, begs to be let inside to hide from 'them'. Filled with fear and wonder as the boy wakes up with no memory, her life takes off in a rollercoaster of new, strange feelings and excitement as she uncovers his dangerous secrets.
1. Prologue

**Len**

Everything hurt. My chest, my arms, my legs, my ribs. My stomach growled loudly, and I glared at the tray of bread and glass of water before me. "Tch," I scoffed, kicking both the tray and glass over with my feet. I'd rather starve to death before I gave him the information he desired. I glanced at my wrists, which were both chained to the stone wall behind me, and gave it a pull. Nothing, of course.

A cold droplet of water hit my cheek, and I shifted uncomfortably, the chains clinking silently. I looked up at the dome-like stone ceiling, trying to find the source of the leak with no avail. I cleared my throat, which was sore from screaming and yelling so often, and looked at my ruined clothes. My white top was torn, dirtied, like my black pants. There was a sound, as if the metal door across from me were unlocking, and it slowly creaked open and _he_ walked in. I clenched my jaw, sending him a hate-filled glare.

He smirked, then squat down next to me, close enough that I could smell his minty breath. "Are you ready to talk yet, Kagamine?" He said, his deep voice echoing around the room. I scowled.

"You think I'd crack that easily, you motherfu-" He stood up abruptly and kicked me right in the stomach so hard I coughed up blood and gasped for air. Not good. If I was coughing up blood because of that, then then that should mean that my organs or bones should have been severely damaged. He didn't even give me time to properly breathe before he punched me in the face again. I coughed, and he grabbed my collar.

"You gonna talk now?" He growled. I muttered something under my breath, and he glared. "What was that?" He said. I weakly repeated it, and he leaned in closer so that his ear was next to my mouth.

"Go kill yourself," I whispered, and he pulled back sharply. I gathered up what little saliva I still had in my mouth and spat rat in his face. His face contorted in anger, and he punched me square in the nose. I heard a _crack_ so loud that I was sure my nose was broken. After a few more punches, a split lip with even more blood coming from my mouth and at least one cracked rib, he shoved me back down into the cold, stone ground. He growled, obviously frustrated, and though it hurt whenever I breathed, I managed to conceal a smirk. At least I could make that bastard angry.

He squat down in front of me and pulled out a knife that looked like it was made out of shiny metal. But from the smell, I could tell that it wasn't metal. It was a knife made of osmium, a metal that I, and my race, were extremely sensitive towards. I managed to conceal a tremor of fear upon realizing what it was. He played with the knife before putting the tip on my cheek. I hissed in discomfort as I felt the familiar sting when it made contact with my skin.

"Such a handsome face," He said. "It'd be shame to have it so scarred and ugly. This is your last chance, Kagamine. _Where is it_?" I gulped, but still grinned.

"Like I'd tell a piece of shit like you." He growled and dug the knife in deeper, deep enough that it drew blood, and dragged it across my cheek slowly. I couldn't contain the bloodcurdling scream that escaped from my mouth. The knife left behind a burning and stinging feeling. At least, that's the best I could describe it into words. The actual feeling was nearly indescribable. He pulled the knife away, seeming a bit satisfied.

"Now..." He said, smoothly, "which eye do you favor? Left-" He pointed the knife at my left eye, the blade a couple centimeters away from my eyeball. I didn't dare blink. "-Or right?" I swallowed thickly.

"Tick tock, Mr. Kagamine. I'll choose for you if you're too slow." He waited a minute, and when it was clear that I wasn't speaking, he sighed. "Right it is, then." He pulled his elbow back, knife in in hand, ready to strike, when a sudden beeping interrupted him. He froze, then put the knife back into his coat. I almost sobbed with relief. He looked down at his watch. He sighed.

"It appears that I have a meeting with the king of Olfgem," He said, his lips curling into a sadistic smile, "a world which I shall conquer soon enough." I smirked.

"Yeah, you go do that, you sick son of a bitch," I spat. He chuckled.

"Oh, Len-" He paused, then cocked his head to the right. "-Or should I say _your highness?_ Perhaps when I come back, I'll interrogate your sister." I tensed at this, giving him the most hateful, murderous glare ever.

"She's a pretty one, that Rin Kagamine. Such innocence and liveliness is what I crave in girls these days..." I growled, making such a barbaric and threatening sound in the back of my throat that even I didn't recognize it as my own.

"Don't you dare do anything to her, or so help me, I will break out and I will find you, and believe me, you won't want me to, and I'll kill you, you twisted, pompous, pathetic, weak, lazy-ass fuck!" I roared. He chuckled, as if he saw this as a joke.

"Keep dreaming, kiddo," He said as he walked out the door, slamming it on the way out. I couldn't even think straight. I was fuming- planning ways to kill him if he dared touch my twin. After a few minutes of this, the door creaked open quietly.

"The fuck you want, you-" I yelled, looking up and stopping what I was going to say when I saw SeeU, one of the servants that would bring me the food, enter with a key. She and I had some sort of friendship going on. She'd always sneak me extra pieces of food and talk to me when she had extra shifts and when _he_ was out _._

"S-SeeU?" I said as she unlocked the chains. It was after I was free that I realized how much I hurt. My head pounded, whenever I breathed my chest hurt, and I had extreme pain in the stomach area. I glanced down at my wrists. They were turning purple from having them in tight shackles for so long. She hurriedly unwrapped a small package of something and shoved it in my hands.

"Eat it- quick!" She commanded. I shoved the small square into my mouth and wrinkled my nose. It was sweet- too sweet for my taste. It tasted like strawberry, but had a mango-y after taste. About a few seconds after I swallowed it, I noticed that it was easier to breathe and the pain in my stomach reduced. "It's supposed to heal severe injuries," She explained as she helped me up. I nodded.

"T-Thank you. Where are we going?" I asked. She put my arm around her shoulders as she helped me walk.

"We're getting you out of here," She said, her blue eyes darting from hall to hall. She began to walk hurriedly, her blonde curls bouncing as she did.

"Won't you get in trouble?" I asked. She smirked and shook her head.

"Not if they don't catch me," She chuckled. I smiled weakly.

"H-Hey, we're getting Rin, right?" I asked. She didn't say anything. She kept looking around, at anything but me. "Right?" She pursed her lips.

"The escape pod can only hold one person," She said. My eyes widened.

"Then give it to her!" I said. She shook her head.

"No," She said. "Rin is- well, she's living comfortably. Unhappily, but comfortably. You, on the other hand..." She trailed off. I gulped.

"But if I leave, then won't-"

"Yes, he'll start questioning her," She interrupted. "But no physical contact will be involved." I snorted.

"And how do you know that?"

"Because he wants her as his bride," She said. I gave a small gasp. He wanted... _Rin_ to be his wife? Was he going to force her into marriage? What'll he do to her as his wife?

"We need to go get her!" I insisted. SeeU scowled, irritation overtaking her features.

"I don't have the key yet. I'll get to her, I promise. After you're gone, though." I frowned, and as much as I wanted to protest, I didn't. I trusted SeeU, after all. She was a woman of her word, I'd learned.

"We're almost there..." She mumbled. "In the pod, you'll be landing on a planet called Earth. You know about it, yes?" I nodded.

"Yes. Me and Rin studied it. I'll blend in well with the humans." SeeU nodded.

"Yes. When you get there, take refuge until I manage to break away from here and come get you."

"How will you-"

"I just will, okay?" We stopped in front of a door, and she looked inside. She punched in a passcode, and it opened. "Stay safe, okay?" I nodded.

"You're getting Rin after this, right?" She bit the inside of her cheek but nodded anyways. She opened her mouth to say something, but her face turned into one of horror as I felt something sharp dig into the back of my left shoulder, as if it were shot.

"Seize them!" A voice yelled. I turned around, finally pulling that dart out of me. Guards were immediately flooding the end of the hall, and SeeU pushed me in the door. The room was small, barren, circular, and pure white. There was a seat in the corner of the room with a seatbelt, and a 'launch' button next to it. Above the button, however, large red words read 'Authorization not yet granted'. I rushed up to the door, which was now closed and looked through the window.

"SeeU!" I yelled, pounding on the glass door. She was furiously typing something in, and finally stopped to look at me through the window.

"That dart- it- it, um- you won't have your memory," She said. "B-But you can get it back if something triggers it. It won't necessarily erase it, more like stash it away." She had tears in her eyes, which overspilled onto her rosy cheeks. She put her hand on the glass where mine was, and smiled shakily.

"I'm sorry," She said as more tears spilled onto her face. "This- this wasn't supposed to happen. Go."

"But what'll happen to yo-"

"I-I'll be fine!" Her voice cracked. "Just- go! I've granted permission to launch." She let out a sob. I felt my own tears gather up in my eyes, making my vision blurry.

"SeeU..." I whispered, trying to blink the tears back and miserably failing. She gave another sad smile to me.

"Goodbye, Len," She whispered. "Thank yo-"

It happened so quickly that at first I was stunned, not believing what I just saw. Her baby blue eyes were wide as the knife cartwheeled through the air, finally firmly planting itself into the side of her head. Her mouth was in the shape of an 'O'

"S-See-" I started. As soon as she fell backwards, I knew she was gone. I choked back a sob as tears streamed down my face. The guards came into view, and pounded on the door. One tried typing something in the passcode, but apparently failed. I let out a shaky breath as I ran to the corner of the room, then pressed the 'Launch' button.

"Please buckle up." A robotic female voice said. "Launching in 10 seconds." I sat down and buckled up, watching as the guards yelled and pounded the door. Already, I was beginning to forget things. When I was born, who the first king of my planet was, why I loved bananas so much. I gulped, and I wondered what will happen to Rin.

"Launching in 5 seconds,"

Will she marry _him_?

"4."

What will happen to me once I land on Earth?

"3."

Will I live my life thinking I was one of them?

"2."

Who will come and get me?

"1."

Would I stay there forever?

"0 seconds."

How would I rescue Rin?

"Takeoff."

With that final thought, the pod launched off from the ship, and made its' way towards Earth.

 **So, what do you guys think of the prologue? I know, not the best, with little action, but it'll get better next chapter. Miku** _ **will**_ **make an appearance next chappie too, so stay tuned please? Didja guys notice the slight LenU in this chapter? What'd you guys think of SeeU and the mystery antagonist? Comments are greatly appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Miku**

I grabbed a fistful of popcorn and shoved it in my mouth. Today, I was all alone in Crypton mansion. Kaito and the other Vocaloids went out somewhere, and being the shut-in I was, I decided to stay indoors and watch _On Borrowed Time_ instead. Crypton was a company that housed and taught musically talented children and teens. However, few of these prodigies, formerly known as Vocaloids, were picked to actually live in the mansion. The rest were just enrolled into Crypton High.

I have been living in Crypton Mansion for over 5 years. Currently, I was 16. I was in the orphanage at the time, with my parents being killed in a fire, and the person who ran Crypton (he insisted that we called him 'Master'. Nobody knew his true name) offering to take me to a place for the musically talented, where I would live comfortably. Of course, I was suspicious at first. Having some random man you've never met before offer take custody of you was a bit shady, but then again, it _was_ an orphanage. I eventually accepted, and the rest was history.

The rain pelted the windows mercilessly, and thunder rumbled in the distance. There was a distinct noise, as if the branches of the trees surrounding the mansion were being broken by a fallen object or something, but I quickly dismissed it. My phone vibrated, and I looked at the screen. I couldn't help but let a smile grace my features as I saw it was from Kaito, one of my best friends and secret crush.

 _Hey, Miku, we're in town getting a bite to eat. Want anything?_ I smiled a bit wider at the thought that he thought of me. It was stupid, and it was cheesy as hell, but I didn't think of it at the time.

 _no, its ok. thanks for the consideration :)_ I texted back. I set my phone down and watched the remainder of the movie silently. About 10 minutes later, when the credits were rolling and I was still baffled by the mix feelings I had about the ending, the energy in the room had shifted, and I knew it wasn't because of the movie. The hairs on my arms were standing up, and I felt a sudden pang of anxiety. I shifted on the couch uncomfortably, bringing the warm, fleece blanket I had wrapped around me tighter. The downpour of the rain seemed to become heavier, harder. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and my heart began to race for reasons that were unknown.

For a moment, it was quiet. The only sounds in the room was the clock ticking, the rain pounding against the windows, and my heart beating frantically. And that was when I heard it- the violent coughing coming from outside, followed by a weak knock on the door. I froze, wondering if I should open the door to see who was causing that racket and if they were okay, but eventually curiosity got the best of me. I shuffled towards the door, and I stopped just as my hand was on the knob.

Was this really such a smart decision? It could be some ploy to get into the mansion. Crypton had many rivals, after all. There was another weak knock, though this one sounded as if the person was just hitting it lightly, as if they didn't have enough energy. _A person could be dying out there,_ I realized. It must be freezing outside, with the rain and usual chilly night air. Without further delay, I unlocked the door and opened it.

I was greeted by a soaking wet boy, who was leaning heavily against the wall of the mansion. He was looking down, so all I could see was a head of wild blonde hair that was escaping from a small ponytail. He wore a strange white shirt that was torn, dirty, and stained with blood. His black pants were in the same state. His wrists were purple- bruised, I realized- as if he was being held somewhere. "H-Hey, are you alright?" I started hesitantly, slightly concerned for this person.

Suddenly, he fell to his knees and I yelped in surprise. "W-Whoa!" I knelt down in front of him. "Do you need medical assistance?" For a minute it was quiet, then he looked up. I gasped at the sight.

If he weren't so beat up, he would've been handsome. Scrapes bloomed across his cheeks, part of his nose, and forehead, and blood came from his nose and mouth. There was a scratch on his left cheek, as if someone had cut him with a knife, that blood came from. His lip and eyebrow were split, blood coming from both. Several bruises were evident on his cheekbones, and a new, faint one was beginning to form on his jaw. "Pl-Please, h-help me..." He whispered. "Be-Before th-they find m-me..." With my heart pounding, I helped him up, propping his arm around my shoulders and helping him inside.

" _What?"_ Isaid, astonished. "Who's _they_? Actually, more importantly, what _happened_ to you? What's your name? Are you a missing person?" The words seemed to tumble out without any thought. He grunted as I sat him down on the couch.

"Len. Len Kagamine. 16 ye-years o-old," He said. His eyes widened and he lurched forward, coughing violently as he did so. I noticed blood coming out of his mouth and I immediately panicked.

"Oh- oh my god," I said, and grabbed my phone with shaky hands. "I'm calling 911." Len winced.

"Is that a form of police here?" I nodded. He shook his head silently. "Don't call. They can't help." He exhaled sharply and closed his eyes. I noted that he looked very pale- a little too pale to be healthy. His lips were turning a bit blue, and he trembled violently. Water droplets clung to the ends of his hair and fell onto the couch.

"Well- who did this to you? What happened?" I asked. I grabbed the fleece blanket and wrapped it around him. He was still shaking as violently as before. A look of horror crossed his features.

"I-" He started. "Oh s-shit. I don't remember," He said. "Th-they shot me with something. I think- I think it's making me fo-forget." I gulped.

"What _do_ you remember _?"_ I asked _._

 _"_ Nothing but my name and ag-age. Ther-There was someone important that I le-left behind." He whispered hoarsely. I swallowed thickly.

"I do-don't feel so..." Len started. He froze for a minute, then his fluttered shut and he fell forward. I rushed over, yelping, as I tried to stop him from falling face first onto the hardwood floor. We ended up in a strange position where I was kind of crouched down and he was slumped forward, his head on my shoulder. I carefully pushed him upright so he wouldn't fall, and did the only thing I could do.

With shaky hands, I picked up the phone and called Kaito.


	3. Chapter 2

"So, let me get this straight. You let a _stranger_ in?" Kaito asked, a baffled look on his face. I crossed my arms, giving him a glare that I rarely used.

"Yes," I said. "Problem?" He studied me for a moment, his dark blue eyes searching my face before sighing, running his hand down his own.

"No, no," He said. "Just- it's dangerous, y'know? What would you have done if he was hostile? What if he hurt you? What if he-" Kaito started, yet again. He'd been giving me these lectures ever since he came. Apparently, he thought of me as a little sister, which was why he was so protective. Ouch. Friendzoned. Gumi sighed and put her hand up. Gumi was one of the newer Vocaloids, and she was like a sister to me, though she arrived nearly a month before. She was my age with green hair that, from the back, went up to her mid-neck, though the front was an inch or so longer. Her emerald green eyes shone brightly like they always did when she spoke.

"Oh, enough with the 'what ifs'," Gumi sighed. She and the rest of the Vocaloids came in an alarmingly short amount of time; nearly 11 minutes after the boy- Len- passed out. "He didn't do anything- he just needed help. The past is the past." I glanced at his sleeping form on the couch. Luka was checking his injuries and winced every minute or so. I guessed that the wounds were bad. For some odd reason, I felt a stab of fear. What could he have done to deserve this? Did he even do anything for this to happen to him? Were the people who were holding him tracking him right now? I suppressed a shiver of fear at the thought of the people who inflicted those bruises on Len finding us. We were just a small group of teenagers that didn't even know how to properly fight, the only exception being Kaito.

"Guys, be quiet," Luka hissed suddenly, causing Gumi & Kaito's bickering to come to a screeching hault. Oliver, the youngest of the group, only being 13, got up from his seat on the stairs and hurriedly ran over to peak at Len's stirring form on the couch, his amber eye (the other one was covered with bandages due to an accident when he was 5) holding curiosity and slight excitement. Even Meiko, who was drinking yet another bottle of stolen Sake (She was the same age as me, so she couldn't legally buy it, so she resorted to stealing bottles of Sake and getting drunk every once and a while) and drunkenly chatting with Gakupo, stopped to look over at the small group forming around Len.

When he opened his eyes, I was slightly shocked. His eyes were incredibly blue- the bluest eyes I've ever seen in my life. Before he fainted, I was too freaked out to properly take a glance at him. Luka had cleaned most of the blood off of his face, so now I could clearly see him. His lashes were thick and long, and even _I_ was jealous of them. His cheekbones were surprisingly high, and much of his forehead was covered my his messy blonde locks. There was no more blood covering the now pink, full lips, though they were quite chapped. When he opened his eyes, for a minute, I didn't see confusion or fear; Instead, all I saw was fierceness and strength.

Then his eyes seemed to focus, and _that's_ when the confusion set in. However, the strength and fierceness still didn't leave, and for some reason, despite the situation, I was awed by this. Perhaps it was because even though he was surrounded by unknown people in an unknown place, he wasn't afraid to fight, despite being severely beaten earlier. That's something I would never be able to achieve, and I felt a small, irrational stab of jealousy at the thought.

I watched as his eyes grew wider. He bolted up and scrambled to the other side of the couch, his fists in a blocking position. He peered at us with suspicious eyes, then spoke. "Who are you people?"

His voice didn't come out as a scratchy, weak, whisper like back outside. Instead, it was smooth, strong, and overall strangely appealing. It confused me as to how someone's voice can be so nice, and how someone's voice can change so much within a half hour. As much as it embarrassed me to admit, I found myself wanting to hear his voice even more. Luka moved forward slowly, her hands raised slightly.

"We aren't here to hurt you," She said, softly, using a voice I knew all too well. It was the voice she used to soothe crying babies, to calm the roused-up children, to comfort the sad. It was her infamous caring, mother voice. She was only 20 years old, being housed here for reasons I didn't know. I always just assumed that she didn't have a home, or was having trouble making money to keep a roof over her head, which was why she was offered to stay at the mansion. My eyes flickered back to Len, who was still tense, but he definitely loosened up a lot more. He was lowering his arms, I was glad to see. Nobody could listen to Luka's mothering voice and not feel safe or comforted, after all.

"We're trying to tend to your injuries, is all," She explained, patiently, her calm voice seeming to wash over even me in waves. "You don't need to fear us." Len stared at her for a moment, as if contemplating whether or not he could trust her. He stayed like that for a minute, then finally relaxed, his hands dropping to his lap, though he still eyed her warily.

"I'm Luka," She said. She pointed to me. "That's Miku. The boy behind her is Kaito. The green-haired one is Gumi. The little one behind you is Oliver. The one with the Sake bottle is Meiko, and the purple-haired one is Gakupo." He nodded at each name, glancing at everyone as the name was called. I wasn't sure, but I believed that is gaze lingered on me for a bit longer that the rest. Luka looked at him, grabbing his hand gently and examining his wrist, wincing.

"Do you hurt anywhere else?" He nodded. "Can you show me?" He hesitated at this one, his lips pursed. He turned around to glance at Oliver, who was practically breathing down his neck. Oliver let out a small sound, and clung to Gakupo's sleeve. Len turned back around.

"If I show you..." He trailed off, sparing a quick glance at Oliver once more. "I'm not sure if it'll be quite appropriate for the boy." I winced.

"Is it...that bad?" I asked, my voice coming out quieter than expected. He snapped his attention to me. He blinked, squinted a little, then tilted his head a little to the left. It looked as if he were studying me, as if I were some sort of puzzle. He looked a little confused and frustrated, as if I looked familiar and he was trying to remember exactly where he'd seen me. Something made me nervous under his piercing gaze, but I couldn't just place my finger on it.

After about a minute of studying each other, he finally nodded. Gumi glanced at Oliver, then at Meiko, who was nearly eye-raping Len, and sighed. "Okay, let's get you two to bed," She sighed. Oliver frowned.

"Eh? But it's only 10 o'clock-" He protested. Gumi merely replied in an eye-roll.

"Fair point," She commented. "Just go do something in your room, then. I think it's a little past Meiko's bedtime. C'mon, Meiko." She grabbed Meiko's wrist and dragged her upstairs, despite her protests. ("Whaaat? I'm not even tired, though!" "You'll thank me later. You're gonna have one hell of a hangover.")

Once they were out of sight, Kaito stepped up, speaking for the first time since Len woke up. I'd felt his presence behind me, but if it weren't for that, I would've forgotten that he was there. He wasn't usually this quiet- in fact, he was normally the one that took charge in crises like this. It was a bit strange, but I brushed it off.

"Well, kid-" He started.

"It appears I'm the same age as you," Len interrupted, eyes narrowing slightly, something in his gaze that definitely didn't seem friendly. Kaito stared back, his eyes the same as Len's. I cleared my throat awkwardly, then took a step back. I was practically choking on the hostility and distrust in the room, though I didn't know exactly what it was that the two were _hostile_ for. Kaito scowled, and I began to _seriously_ wonder what his problem was.

"Yeah, whatever," He said, standing up taller. Kaito was taller than the average 16 year-old, reaching up to 5'9, and was as buff as he was tall. He completely towered over my tiny, 5'3 self. Len, however, didn't look as intimidating. Although he _did_ carry a slight hard, tough, somewhat haunted, and Don't-Touch-Me-Or-I'll-Kill-You look in his eye, he was much smaller than Kaito, probably being as tall as 5'4 or 5'5, and didn't look buff or muscle-y. If I didn't know better, I'd say that he was scrawny, though it obviously wasn't the case; I could see the muscle on his bicep, which was nearly hidden by the sleeve of his shirt. He may not be extremely muscular or as... _tall..._ as Kaito, but he obviously wasn't weak.

Of course, I'd learned not to judge people from their appearance, but I still found myself feeling like if they got into a fight, Kaito would definitely win. Maybe it was just because I actually knew that Kaito took karate when he was 12, and _didn't_ know what Len was capable of.

Len didn't look fazed at all as Kaito stood up straighter, arms crossed. In fact, he also seemed to straighten and give him a hard look. I glanced between them. "Kaito..." I warned, my voice low, shooting him a glare. "Don't be so rude and just get on with the question already," He clenched his jaw, but nodded anyways. I'd talk to him later about what his deal was, after all this.

"Fine," He said back to me, between clenched teeth, then turned his attention back to Len. "Who are you, and when do you leave?" He maliciously asked. Luka gasped and shot him a withering glare that would've made even me wince if I weren't so angry. A boy comes in here, beaten severely, passes out, and _what_ does that blue-haired dumbass do? Ask him when he leaves.

I was pretty sure I was going to slap him if I didn't have an audience- I'd _definitely_ talk to him later. I let out a low, strange hiss, as if that were to satisfy the urge to beat some sense into him. Any normal person would've been mad, sure, but I was _mad._ So mad it was hard to describe. And why? I don't know. I felt like the anger was an overreaction- irrational, even. Why would I be this angry over a question that even I even started to question? I don't know. I was just weird that way. Fortunately, Luka also seemed to be upset over this.

"Kaito!" She hissed, fire in her eyes. For a split second, I could've sworn I saw hell itself in them. She looked back at Len, giving him a reassuring pat. "Don't worry. You can stay here as long as you need to," She said tenderly, giving him a soft smile, though Len looked almost puzzled, as if it shocked him that she was actually being nice to him. She turned back to Kaito, squinting. "You and I will talk later," She informed, sharply. If I didn't feel so satisfied, I'd feel bad for him. Luka, usually the calmest and happiest of us all, was terrifying when angry. Kaito nodded sharply, and I could see him gulp.

"But that is a good question," She said, turning to Len, her blue eyes kind once again. It always scared me slightly when Luka changed moods like that so easily, almost like it was nothing. "Who are you?" I realized that I nearly forgot to tell them his name, as well as age. I didn't know how I could skip over such valuable information like that, but I guess I did. I paused, deciding not to tell them just yet; I wanted to see if Len remembered, even some of the easiest questions about all watched Len curiously- others, most likely because they didn't know what to call him, and I because I wanted to see if he truly had amnesia.

He pursed his lips, and looked vaguely confused. I wasn't sure if my eyes were deceiving me, but I was sure I saw a tiny tremor of faint fear in his eyes. But, then again, my judgement was as terrible as my fashion sense, so I could be wrong here. He sighed, finally, and looked at Luka.

"That _is_ a good question," He said, mumbling the next part more to himself than to her, "A question I wish I had the answer to."

 **It took every ounce of will and responsibility to write this whole thing, oh my god. I apologize if Kaito sounds like an assbutt (if you got that reference I will love you forever) in this chappie, he's actually a pretty damn nice guy. Usually. Sometimes.  
Aaaanyway. I also apologize if the chapter seems more like a filler, and if it seems bad. I'm taking the original that I wrote and re-writing it to make it much, much better.**

 **Also, merry early Christmas! Only 5 days away…sigh. But, fortunately, Len & Rin's V4X English voicebank is supposed to come out on Christmas eve! I'm not really sure if this is true or not, but I've heard their V4X demos and they're so amazing! I hope that the English voicebank thing is true. I think I'm more excited for the new voicebank than Christmas itself. Honestly, an English voicebank for my favorite Vocaloids would just be the best thing ever.  
**

 _ **Thank you to everyone who had reviewed so far (iloveyugiohGX93, Zhane17, i love he pink neko, MissAudacious13, lowercases) they appreciate a bunch to me, and being the little attention whore I am, reviews are greatly appreciated!  
**_

 _ **Another thanks to those who have followed (i love the pink neko, Zhane17, Airlit City) I, again, greatly appreciate it!**_

 _ **And thank you for the favorites, as well, (MissAudacious13, I love the pink neko, lowercases) they mean a bunch to me!**_


	4. Chapter 3

"Why?" I asked Kaito, my hands on my hips. It was the morning after Len woke up, and this was the first moment I had with Kaito alone since then. Len was sitting at the table, a hungover Meiko flirting shamelessly with him. Despite his obvious puzzlement at her flirtations, Meiko still didn't give up and kept on trying to ask him out. Kaito and I were next to the stairs. Kaito raised an eyebrow.

"Why what?" He asked. I scoffed and rolled my eyes; he couldn't be serious, could he?

"Why were you being such a douchebag to Len last night?" I hissed. He blinked, looking quite unamused. He crossed his arms.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He replied, feigning innocence as he looked away. I scowled. I knew how Kaito usually acted around new people, and he certainly didn't act like a little bitch to them.

"Oh, you know what I'm talking about!" I hissed back. "Not only did you ask when he was leaving, you were also making little comments when he showed us his other wounds! What the hell was wrong with you?" I glared at him as I recalled the memory from last night.

* * *

 _"Um. Before he passed out, he told me his name was Len Kagamine and that he's sixteen years old. Apparently-" I stopped. Should I really tell him that he was shot by a something that's making him forget? Was that such a good idea? I pursed my lips and decided not to- it'd be my little secret for now. "I mean, the other injuries. Len was about to show us but said that they might not be appropiate for Oliver. Can you show us?"_

 _He nodded. Len hesitantly grasped the ends of his shirt, looking at Luka for confirmation. She nodded, and he lifted it over his head. I gasped._

 _His body was littered with nasty bruises and large gashes, some that were recent, and others that were slowly turning into scars. Most of the gashes took its place on his muscular chest, but there were some that was near his stomach and on his was a mark near his right abdomen that showed a strange symbol. It looked like it could mean something in a different language, but I had no idea what it could've meant or what language it could've been from. It was similar to that of a burn mark, as if someone had engraved the symbol into some kind of metal, heated it up, and pressed it onto his skin. Len was right to ask us to send Oliver out; these wounds were ghastly. Luka winced as she looked at his back._

 _"Oh, my..." She whispered._

 _"What is it?" I asked. She looked up at me with horrified and worried eyes._

 _"It looks like he's been...whipped..." She whispered. I covered my mouth and glanced at Len. Who could've done this to him and why?_

 _"Why would someone do this?" Luka whispered. Kaito shrugged._

 _"Maybe he was in a gang and got into a fight." Kaito said. I shot him a look._

 _"I don't think they'd beat him this badly."_

 _"Well, who knows? Maybe his gang-"_

 _"Kaito. We don't know if he's in a gang. In fact, he probably isn't."_

 _"His_ hypothetical _gang, then. Maybe they were stupid and really pissed a powerful gang off and he got wrecked so badly he ran away and left his comrades to die." He concluded. I scoffed and rolled my eyes; was he really believing that stupid theory? And, most of all, was he implying that Len was a coward? I didn't know him, of course, but for some reason it made me angry._

 _"There's a weird symbol near his right abdomen. It looks like it could be in another language, so how and why would they take the time to burn that into his skin?"_

 _"You never know, it could be their hella ratchet gangster symbol or something."_

 _"Kaito!" Luka scolded, shooting him a deadly glare. "Don't say things like that! I doubt he got these injuries from a gang fight." Kaito seemed to think for a minute before shrugging._

 _"Fair point. He's too much of a pretty boy. Probably a sissy and can't throw a decent punch for his life."_

 _"Kaito!"_

 _"Underestimation can be a foe's best weapon against you," Len said suddenly, his voice cold. Kaito raised his eyebrows._

 _"Oh? What're you gonna do? Stab me while I sleep soundly in my bed?"_

 _"Oh my God, Kaito, if you don't stop,_ I'm _going to stab you in your sleep." I growled, shooting him a glare. He just shrugged, that bastard._

 _"Of course not. I just advise that you don't immediately assume things about people, especially your opponent when in a fight. You do get in a lot of fights, I assume, with that attitude?" I flinched; this was getting out of hand. At this rate, Kaito would probably poison Len's food, or Len would probably end up actually stabbing Kaito in his sleep._

 _Yeah, neither of those would have a good impression._

* * *

"Absolutely nothing," He snapped. "Except for the fact that Meiko's trying to hook up with a stranger in the kitchen! Don't you see anything wrong with this?" He said. I rolled my eyes.

"Wrong with what?" I challenged. He made a frustrated noise.

"With...everything!" He said. "I mean, some guy comes here, beaten with no memory, and not only that, but I'm not even sure if he's a real person!" I scoffed and rolled my eyes. Then I processed the last part. No records? Did Kaito look him up?

"Well, yeah, it's a bit strange, but still! We have to help him! And what do you mean by that?" I asked, frowning. Kaito shifted awkwardly.

"I mean that I um...last night I did a little research on him and there was nothing. Nothing at all with that had to do with the person in the kitchen. No social media, no traceable technology, nothing at all. It's like Len Kagamine just appeared out of thin air." I crossed my arms, contemplating this. No records, nothing at all? What a mysterious boy. But we shouldn't jump to conclusions just yet.

"So what're you saying?" I said. "That he's an alien or something?" I nearly laughed at the thought. No way. Did I believe in aliens? Sure. This universe is, after all, so large and vast and there are so many places we haven't even discovered yet. So there's no way that the inhabitants of Earth are the only signs of life.

But the thought of a perfectly normal looking boy who speaks our language is an alien? That was preposterous. Kaito frowned and looked like he was actually _considering_ it. "Well-"

"No." I said. "Kaito that's just- he isn't. He's just a normal teenager with amnesia, okay?" He sighed.

"I'm just sayin' that it's weird, y'know?"

 _"_ Mmhm. It is, but don't be a jackass about it."

"Listen, I'm just afraid that he'll be hostile or something. What if he hurts you? What if the people that did that to him track him down? To _us_?" I chewed the inside of my cheek. Kaito made a good point, but was that why he was trying to be an ass to Len? To run him out of here so the people who hurt him don't come here?

"That's..." I sighed. "Kaito...he's not hostile. And if he is, you can take him down. But I doubt it. And I also doubt that the person that did all of those horrible things to him aren't coming here."

"But-"

"Shush it," I said, bringing my hand up. He shut up. "All I ask is that you do not freak out and call the police or whatever, okay? Can you do that for me, Kaito?" He nodded.

"I guess," He sighed. I nodded and grinned, reaching up to ruffle his hair. "Okay. And don't- just _don't_ \- make passive aggressive comments. Don't be a douchebag, please. Be nice. Got it?" He nodded. "Good." With that, I turned around and walked back to the kitchen where Meiko and Len were still conversing.

"-I don't get it," Len was saying to a giggling Meiko. His eyes were furrowed in confusion and he looked like he was trying to solve a hard equation. "How does one have nice buns? Buns are bread loaves, are they not? If my father was a baker I understand he might make nice-looking buns to be displayed but why would he give _me_ bread loaves?" I raised my eyebrows and cast a glance at Meiko. She shrugged.

"Oh, honey, you're far too innocent for this world." Meiko sighed, ruffling his hair. He blinked. I took a seat next to him.

"So, Len, how're you settling in?" I asked. He shrugged.

"I'm settling in just fine, I suppose." He replied. I nodded, biting the inside of my cheek. We all called up Master last night to inform him about the night's events and what to do with Len. Master was, I thought, a cruel and greedy man, but the severity of his order surprised even me. He told us to give Len and lyric sheet for a duet and have him memorize it and then sing it when he's mastered it. If he didn't like the results, he'd throw Len out. If he did, he'd be accepted into the mansion. It made me mad. I mean, you couldn't just throw a teenager with amnesia and no place to go out into the streets!

"...Lets take a walk, if that's okay with you." I ended up saying. He tilted his head a bit to the right, as if he was confused, and then answered.

"Okay."

* * *

The walk was silent. Surprisingly, it wasn't awkward, but...comfortable. Not exactly what I was expecting from walking with a stranger. The mansion wasn't really in the city, a bit more into the country, which would explain the peace and quiet and probably the lack of people living in such a huge place. We were strolling through the woods, passing by the tall oak trees that reached for the blue, nearly cloudless sky.

"So why are we here?" Len asked, suddenly. I looked down at the green grass as we walked. Was there an easy way to put this? No. Probably not. But a girl's gotta try anyways. I cleared my throat.

"Well, um, we have someone that's basically in charge, see, and we're all a part of a special program for talented singers, which is partially why we live in that mansion, and...well-"

"I have to prove myself to be worthy to live in that mansion or else I'll be kicked out, correct?" He asked, flashing me an unexpected, small smile. I blinked.

"Wow. Um...yeah, actually. How'd you-"

"Lucky guess?" He chuckled. "I kinda saw where the conversation was going. You could've just told me straight out, you know. That's why I was given a musical sheet, yes?" I nodded.

"Yeah," I replied. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised by Len's correct assumptions.

"So where're we going?" He asked. I cast him a glance, the edges of my mouth pulling up into a small smile.

"I thought I'd show you a special place here," I explained. "I like to have it as a little private place, but I figured that since you're..." I was about to say 'having a rough time' but stopped myself before I could say it. "...new here and all, I thought I'd show you."

He blinked, then a small smile formed on his lips. He looked at me, blue eyes twinkling. "That's very kind of you, Ms. Hatsune," He said. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks before I knew it and I looked away, scratching the back of my neck.

"I-It's no problem," I muttered, loud enough so he could hear. "And c-call me Miku." I heard him chuckle.

"Alright, Miku."

* * *

We finally reached the special place. Once I heard the slight sound of splashing water and noticed how the area became more populated with flowers and such, I knew we were there. "We're here," I announced as I pushed through low hanging branches that were thick with leaves and stepped toward the place.

The 'special place' was a river. One might think, ' _A river? How unexciting_.' but no. Everything about it was beautiful. The turquoise river wound it's way around the trees and through the forest, babbling and burbling as it hopped off the limestone rocks. Trees towered above the river, the leaves drooping down low, as if it was reaching for the slowly moving water.

The bushes and generally everything around the stream was almost impossibly green and lush. A large tree leaned across the stream, almost like a bridge to the other side. Spears of light pierced through the leaves of the trees, making the scene look even more majestic and stunning than it already was. The only sounds that were heard was the sound of the rushing water, the birds merrily chirping, and the leaves occasionally rustling whenever there was a light breeze. Len looked around, awe bright in his eyes.

"Amazing," He breathed. I stole a glance at him from the corner of my eye. He was looking around, drinking up every detail like an excited child. I looked down at the river. It was a pretty color- turquoise. _But Len's eyes are prettier_ , I found myself thinking. I immediately flushed at the thought. Where did that come from? _God, I sound like someone from a cheesy romance love-at-first-sight novel_ , I thought to myself sourly, _get a hold of yourself, Miku!_

"I found this place wandering around. I was pretty upset at the time, too, but I found that I could easily calm down here. I made it a habit to come here when I'm upset, so if I ever storm off or something, I'd probably be here." Len blinked and tilted his head to the left. Damn it, as if this boy wasn't cute enough as it is.

"Am I the only one that knows about this place?"

"Yep."

"Not even the blue haired man you're in love with?" I nearly choked on air on the last statement. I felt my face go red with embarrassment. Seriously? It was that friggin' obvious?

"H-How do you...?" Len blinked, then gave me a boyish grin and scratched the back of his head, chuckling softly.

"I kind of guessed. Didn't think I'd be right, but I guess I was." Sly bastard.

"Well then how'd you guess?" I challenged, crossing my arms. He shrugged.

"Body language." He said simply. The amusement was still in his eyes, but now there was confusion, too. "Why'd you show this place only to me?" I pursed my lips. That really was a hard question. Why _did_ I show him? I barely knew the guy. I mean, even Kaito didn't know about this, and he was my best friend. I struggled to find a suitable answer.

"I have no idea," I finally said. It was the truth, and if we were gonna be friends, which was very, highly probable, I didn't want to start it out with half-assed lies. "I mean, I've known everybody in the mansion so long and I basically see them as close as family at this point, but they don't even know where I disappear to when I'm angry or sad, which is here. Honestly, I think I showed you because...well, I don't know. Maybe it's so that you can have a place to go when things get tough, too." He blinked, then smiled softly. I found it hard to believe that this was the same boy who looked so lost- so _broken_ a day ago. I found it hard to believe that this boy- this marshmallow-covered cinnamon roll that smiled frequently and already seemed sweeter than sugar itself and cuter than a bunny- was the same boy that had an astonishing amount of fire and determination and fight in his eyes despite being severely beaten and waking up with no memory in a strange place surrounding by strange people.

"That's very kind of you, Ms. Ha- Miku." He turned back around, looking at the shrubbery and occasional wildflowers poking out of the tall grass, as if studying it. "Thank you." I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly.

"Y-Yeah," I muttered. "Don't mention it." For a while, we just stood there next to each other. No talking. No awkward silence, either. I like to think that we just stood there, enjoying both the scenery and each other's presence.

Why did I already feel so close to Len? Why was he already occupying my thoughts? I only knew him for a day, so why did I feel so content and calm in his presence? Maybe it was because people like Len just emitted that kind of atmosphere that automatically made people safe. Maybe it was just because he was hot. I'm a teenage girl with raging hormones, after all.

"...Eh?" I heard his mumble. I glanced over at him to find that he was glancing intently at one of the sets limestone rocks nearest to us. Water was rushing over it, hopping off of the rock, making a small 'splashing' sound as it did so.

"Hm?" I said. He frowned. He looked like he was concentrating real hard on something.

"There's something caught in one of the rocks," He replied as he walked over to the limestone rocks. He knelt down, and I was right behind him. He rolled his sleeve up and stuck his hand in the water and grasped something that was caught around a rock. _It's a chain,_ I realized. He pulled it out of the water and examined it.

It was a pendant. The jewel- it looked far, far too vivid and fiery red to be a ruby- was tear-drop shaped. The bottom of it looked yellow, then it turned orange, then finally into red. A golden piece was at the top of the jewel, and wrapped itself around the top and bottom part of it. Something in another language (it looked like it could be in the same language as the symbol that was burned into Len' flesh) was engraved into the golden parts that were on the jewel. I couldn't be sure, but I could've sworn that I saw it glow brighter when Len touched it. Len's eyes widened as he examined it, a gasp making its way out of his throat. I glanced at the pendant, then at him.

"...Len?" I asked softly. He didn't look at me. He just kept staring at the pendant, his cerulean blue eyes wide.

"This...necklace..." He whispered. He swallowed thickly. "It..."


	5. Chapter 4

_Earlier_

 _ **Len**_

"Ugh..." I mumbled as I took my seatbelt off. I stood, but immediately fell back down. I crawled to the corner of the escape pod and vomited. I felt something slide out of my pocket, and it landed with a loud sound, as if someone had dropped something made of metal on the floor. After I finished throwing up whatever I had to eat today and just sitting there for a moment with my hair covering my eyes, wondering how the hell everything took such a dark turn, I finally wiped my mouth and glanced at where the sound had come from, tiredly. An amulet.

But this wasn't a normal amulet. It was special. It belonged to someone. I racked my brain for answers. Was it me? Was it my mother? Rin? My father? SeeU? Someone else? I couldn't remember. It must be kicking in already. I picked the necklace up in my trembling hand and stuffed it back in my pocket. I stumbled around for a bit, then I found the exit.

Typing in a command for the doors to open with trembling fingers, the amulet felt heavy in my pocket. I have to keep it safe. It belongs to someone special. But who?

I watched as the doors opened with a loud groan. I stepped out of the pod and was immediately greeted with cold, stinging pellets of water pelting my skin mercilessly as a strong wind blew my bangs aside, my hair whipping about. I put my arm up to try and protect my face from the merciless weather. The sky was an inky black, and there were no stars in sight. _This world looks much like mine,_ I thought. My teeth chattered, and my hands and feet already felt like blocks of ice.

I began to move. I needed to find shelter- I needed to find humans. The wind howled as I made my way north. I looked behind at my pristine white pod. Although it was raining, it gave off steam and it sat in a medium-sized hole. The bright, white light glowed and you could see a mile away in this brutal weather. I turned and continued to stumble along, using trees as support as I slowly began to forget more things in my life. Who was my first kiss? I had a feeling that I was well-known at my planet- but why? I vaguely remembered _him_ calling me 'your highness'. Perhaps I was some sort of royalty back home. Maybe he was mocking me, to force me to notice how low I've sunk. The man that had tortured me, what was his name again? My parents- where are they?

I gasped as soon as I felt the bottom of my legs up to my calves be enveloped in icy cold rushing water. I looked down and found that I was calf-deep in a stream. The rain was still mercilessly pelting me, and my heart raced so fast that I was sure that I'd have a heart attack. My legs felt like they were repeatedly being stabbed by cold, cold tiny swords made of ice. _...Ice_ , I thought numbly. _There's something about ice...and...water...but what?_

"Wha!" I let out a yell of surprise as I tripped over something and fell into the river, facefirst. I felt my entire body get enveloped in the cold water, and I froze up. _Why can't I...move?_ After a moment of panic, I managed to lift up my head, just enough so that it was out of the water. I paced my breathing so that it was even and slow and calm. When I was down there...I couldn't move. Some would tell me that it was shock, but I actually couldn't move for a second. It was like the area all around me just... _dropped_. I struggled to get myself out of the water, my movements slow and sluggish. My vision blurred as I tried standing, but failed. Little did I know, but it was in that moment that the amulet fell out of my pocket and into the rushing stream. I didn't notice it, and I crawled to the other side at long last. My knees buckled underneath me and I fell, crawling to a nearby bush and retched, but nothing came out. There was nothing left to vomit.

I couldn't find enough strength in myself to get up, not right now at least. Crawling towards a certain direction weakly and pathetically, I relied on the trees to shield me from the merciless, stinging rain. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and I watched a bolt of lightning light up the night sky. And that's when I saw it- a faint glow in the distance. I couldn't be sure, but something within me just _knew_.

Humans.

 **Miku**

"Ugh..." I watched as Len gripped his head, eyes squeezed shut. I was immediately alarmed. Hesitantly, I touched his shoulder.

"Len? What's...are you okay?" I settled on. He was quiet for a moment, then he sighed heavily and looked up.

"No idea." He said, simply. "I saw something when I picked it up. Perhaps it was a memory?" He muttered. I raised my eyebrows. I recalled Len telling me that something could trigger his memory again. This necklace- whatever significance it had- must've been a part of his past.

"What'd you see?" I obviously asked. He blinked.

"I know I saw more, but all I remember are fragments. I think I was crossing this river and it fell out. Um...rain. Lots of it. Obviously." He said. He let out another breath. I could tell he was distressed, though he was trying not to show it. I shot him a reassuring smile and, on impulse, leaned over and grabbed his hand. He blinked and looked at me, a confused light in his eye.

"That's good. Maybe you'll begin to remember more things, later." I said, giving his hand a comforting squeeze. "This necklace is obviously important, so you might want to hang on to it." He nodded, then stuffed the necklace in his pocket.

"...Yeah." He murmured. "Thanks. Sorry for making a scene." I rolled my eyes and lightly hit the back of his head with my hand.

"Scene? It wasn't that bad. Besides, I think I'd react far worse than you did if that happened to me. Come on. Lets go back, yeah?" I stood up and brushed the dirt off my bottom, then extending my hand towards Len. He paused for a moment, a somewhat troubled expression on his face, then he looked up at me, the unsettled look on his face melting away as he took my hand hesitantly. I jumped. His hand was colder than I expected. I got the sudden, impulsive urge to take his other hand and try to warm them up but resisted.

"Yeah. That sounds good."

* * *

"You aced it!" I happily yipped as soon as we stepped out of Master's mansion. Not thinking, I threw myself at him and enveloped him in a warm hug. I heard him make a confused noise. Immediately, I stepped back. "Sorry, sorry." I apologized. He waved it off.

"It's fine, it's fine." He dismissed. He frowned. "That 'Master' guy was weird. I wonder what his real name is..." I nodded in agreement as we began to walk back to our own mansion.

"Yeah. Nobody knows his real name." I told him. Len and I had just performed for Master, mostly to see if Len was fit to officially join Crypton and become a Vocaloid. He passed with flying colors, fortunately. I didn't know why, but I felt incredibly happy when he passed. I mean, sure, had it been anyone else I'd be happy, but I was... _relieved_. _Perhaps it's because he's growing on me_ , I thought as I looked at the sky. The sun was sinking down into the mountains, the beautiful sky projecting red, yellow, and orange decorated with fluffy clouds that were painted bright pink and orange. Streams of orange, fiery light pierced through the green leaves and shone on various different spots on the brown earth.

"Beautiful sunset, huh?" I said, just to strike up conversation. He looked at me, then at the sky.

"Is that what it's called?" He mused. "In that case, it is quite stunning indeed." I raised my eyebrows at him.

"You didn't know what a sunset was?" I asked in disbelief. He shook his head.

"No, actually. Although I do understand what some of the things here are called, there are a few that I still do not know." He admitted. I kicked a pebble out of the way.

"Really?" I said. "Which ones do you not know?" He thought for a moment.

"That beverage Ms. Meiko was drinking last night. I assume that's what made her act so loopy last night, but I'm not quite sure." I chuckled softly at his innocence.

"Beer." I replied. "Alcohol." He tilted his head.

"And that is...?" I blinked, trying to find a way to describe exactly what alcohol _is_. I predicted that when I finally did explain it, Len would probably ask why people got drunk, and how the hell could I explain _that_?

"Um..." I started awkwardly. "Ask Meiko. She'll explain it better." I told him, deciding that it was better her than me. It was quiet for a while before Len finally spoke up.

"...If you really like Kaito, you should tell him," He said. I nearly choked on air. Was he out of his mind? Where did that even come from.

"Wha- I- why do you even care?!"

"I dunno. It's quite painful, really. The tension is just-" He threw up his hands exasperatedly. "...Anyways, I heard that a lot of people confess to their love interests and end up happier than before 50% of the time. I assume that you've liked Kaito for a while now?" I crossed my arms.

"3 years." Why was I telling him any of this? It's none of his business, no, but I suppose that I could use at least _some_ advice.

"That's...long." Len said. "What's been holding you back?" I sighed softly.

"Fear." I replied simply. He raised his eyebrows.

"Fear?"

"Fear." I confirmed, nodding. "The fear of being rejected, the fear of being humiliated, the fear of forever ruining our friendship." He was quiet for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face.

"I suppose that's a very valid reason and very real possibility. I can understand why you'd be afraid." He finally said. "But humans only get one life. And that's it. Done. Taking small, baby steps like that shouldn't exactly be something worth constantly sweating over, I think. I don't speak from experience, obviously, so I don't know how it feels to be in that position, so I'll try to offer the best advice I could. Long from now, you'll probably look back on this, if you even remember, that is, and laugh at how insignificant it all seemed at the time. Or, maybe, the choice you made wasn't insignificant at all. There's at least a 50% chance of Kaito accepting your feelings. I'm not going to sugarcoat this, but there's also a 50% chance that he'll reject it. Rejection shouldn't be necessarily too bad. It'll hurt, but you'll eventually move forward, and when you look back it, it won't hurt as much. Most of the time, it's just one tiny insignificant stain that quickly gets forgotten. Besides," He stopped, and I did to. He turned to look at me.

"If I were you, I wouldn't wait too long." I stared at him, and he stared right back. A breeze blew by, making the leaves rustle and Len's bangs to be swept out of his eyes temporarily. The blue in his eyes still shocked me, despite knowing him for nearly a whole week.

"And why's that?" I whispered, finding it unusual that my voice nearly refused to work.

"Because if you wait too long, he'll slip out of your grasp and might fall for someone else." That was his answer. I nodded slowly. He did prove a point. There were already rumors that Akita Neru had eyes for Kaito and was planning to confess soon. I said nothing. Len looked down.

"...Sorry." He apologized. I blinked.

"Eh? What?" He looked up at me.

"I'm sorry for that unnecessarily long speech. You must be tired of hearing my voice by now." He sheepishly rubbed the backed of his neck, chuckling apologetically. I _can never get tired of your voice_ , I thought. I wondered how anybody could ever get tired of hearing him talk.

"It's fine, really." I said, waving it off as we resumed walking. I cast him a side glance. "That was actually really deep. I'm kind of flattered that you poured so much thought into your advice for me. It's probably the most thoughtful answer I've ever received, honestly."

* * *

"CONGRATULATIONS!"

"Gyah!" I screeched, jumping back and hiding behind Len. I peered out from behind him to the group. All the Vocaloids were there and confetti rained down from...somewhere. A large banner with 'Welcome to the family, Len!' painted in bright blue hung from one wall to another. Streamers hung everywhere, and it looked like they were all arranging a party. Len looked confused.

"Eh?" He said, blinking. Luka smiled brightly.

"You passed the test! You're officially a Vocaloid, now. We thought that we should arrange a party to celebrate." I blinked and walked in the house, Len trailing behind me, looking around.

"How did you guys know?" I asked. Gakupo shrugged.

"Master told us that he heard Len rehearsing and he really, _really_ liked it. He still wanted him to perform for him, since he wanted to see how it would sound overall." I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Why didn't anyone..." I sighed again. "Just...nevermind. What do you think, Len?" I turned to look at him. He was examining a lava lamp, a puzzled expression on his face as he turned it in his hands. He jumped as soon as he heard his name and nearly dropped it, but caught it before it could fall and set it back on the table quickly and guiltily, like he was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to do.

"It's great," He said. "Thanks for taking the time to do this." Gumi grinned.

"It's no problem!" She happily told him. "Lets get this party started!"

It wasn't even an hour, and the party was in full swing. The lights were dimmed down and music blared through the speakers, filling the room with the sound of music and people happily chatting and laughing. People danced and talked, some holding red cups containing soda, others eating something from the snack table. I was never much of a party person. I much preferred to stay in my room curled up with a good book or doing something else that didn't involve social interactions.

I eyed Neru and Kaito, biting my lower lip, Len's advice ringing through my head. He was right. If I didn't act soon, then he'd probably get with some other girl. I'm not saying that he definitely likes me, because that'd be foolish. I was willing to bet that he thought of me only as a sister, not as a love interest. It was funny how Kaito could make my emotions change so quickly. One minute I could be furious at him and be mentally beating the shit out of him, then the next I could barely find the courage within me to speak to him while noticing how nice he looked in a button-up. I wondered if it was him that affected me like this, or if I was just bipolar. Maybe it was just hormones.

I watched as Neru walked away, and I gripped the ends of my skirt, finding a sudden urge to tell him how I felt right then and there. Len's inspiring speech made me think quite a bit, and I'd just get random urges to take some random risks. He'd be a great motivational speaker.

Summoning the bravery and will I had within me, I walked over to him. _Deep breath, Hatsune. You got this shit in the bag. You're just going to go up to him and tell him straight out, like a boss. No stuttering or bushing at all, because you're not some girly little-_

"Hey, Miku!" Kaito said, grinning. Involuntarily, my knees shook slightly. I mustered up all the power I had and poured it into my voice.

"H-He-Hey, K-Kaito." And then it evaporated. Completely. _God damn it_. However, my will to tell him didn't fade. It wavered, like, a lot, sure, but it was still there. And then I opened my mouth to tell him about my feelings.


	6. Chapter 5

**_Miku_**  
"I, um..." I started, my cheeks most definitely scarlet. "I- I...I like..." Kaito raised his eyebrows at me and leaned against the wall. My knees felt like jello, and my hands were sweaty and clammy. "I um...I like yo-"

"Hey, Kaito!" Neru chirped, two drinks in hand in a red plastic cup. She smiled brightly, flashing her perfect, straight white teeth. Her blonde hair, which was usually in a side ponytail, was down, the golden locks cascading down her back and tumbling over her shoulders, her amber eyes shining. "I got the drinks!"

"O-Oh. Thanks, Neru." He said, flashing a smile and taking the cup that she offered to him. Kaito turned to me. "Sorry, Miku, what were you gonna say?" He asked. I smiled nervously, playing with my hands behind my back. I honestly felt like vomiting. All the courage that I gathered up had evaporated.

"Oh, um...I was just gonna say that I like your sweater," I blurted out. "Y-You know, the one that you lent to me? It's really...um...cozy and warm. D-Do you mind if I...um...keep it?" I squared my shoulders nervously as he seemed to study me intently, before breaking out in a grin.

"Sure!" He said. "Feel free to keep it. Don't be afraid to ask me for anything, either!" He flashed me another brilliant smile and I smiled back, nervously.

"Uh...yeah," I said quietly, walking away. I wormed my way through the crowd, repulsed by my utter cowardice. I couldn't go through with it. Besides, with the way Kaito looked at Neru, I knew I had no chance. I swallowed thickly as I shoved through the people.

"Hey? Miku?" A concerned voice said, and I felt a hand grab onto my sleeve. I turned around and saw Gumi there. Gumi was one of the recent Vocaloids here, but she and I already had a close friendship with one her. Her lime green eyes studied me worriedly. "Are you okay?" I nodded, a forced smile that probably looked more like a pained grimace, plastered on my face.

"Y-Yeah," I said. "I just need some air." She frowned, but let go.

"A-Alright, then," She said, "But if you need to talk or anything, I'm here, okay?" I nodded, and pulled away, heading toward the open door that led to the balcony. I looked around. It was deserted. I shuffled out, closing the glass doors gently behind me, leaving behind the sounds of the party. I rested my arms on the stone railings and exhaled, looking up at the sky.

Night had fallen, and stars twinkled in the clear, inky black sky brightly. The crescent moon was luminous, giving off a pale light, and a breeze drafted by, making me shiver slightly in my tank top. The balcony overlooked the forest, which was actually very close to the mansion. The dark wood was a bit hard to make out, but the vibrant green leaves I could easily see as they swayed slightly. The wind blew once more, a little harder this time, brushing the hair away from my face and causing the leaves and bushes to rustle softly. Other than the faint sounds of the party in the mansion and the cooing of an owl nearby, it was quiet and peaceful. It wasn't often that I got to appreciate such beauty and tranquility, so I savored every moment.

"I assume you didn't tell him. Don't worry about Neru- she doesn't have eyes for Kaito." A voice suddenly said. I jumped and turned, quickly, to find the source of the voice. The first thing that I registered was a head of wild blonde hair. I relaxed immediately. It was Len. His elbows were propped up on the railing, his hands together with his chin in the end of both palms. He looked better, now, and strangely, there was nearly no evidence that he'd been beaten. _He must be a quick healer,_ I thought. I didn't even hear him enter. I made a mental reminder to make him wear bells later. If he kept sneaking up on my like this, I'd have a heart attack.

"Yeah?" I said, unable to keep the bitter tone out of my voice. "How do you know?" I glanced in his direction. He was gazing out at the scenery with slight curiosity, like he was trying to analyze all that he saw. The moonlight made him look ghostly pale, paler than he usually was, and made his cerulean blue eyes stand out even more. He didn't look at me as he spoke.

"It's the way she moves and acts around him versus everyone else," He said. "Exactly the same. The two are close, but not romantically. You have nothing to fear. Not now, at least." I frowned, but nodded steadily. Strangely enough, though, instead of a tremendous relief, I felt nothing. I would've expected to felt _some_ emotion. Hope, relief, happiness, but there was none.

"Life here is strange, isn't it?" He said, suddenly.

"Huh?" I said, glancing at him in slight puzzlement. What brought that subject up? He didn't look at me as he changed his position so that his back was facing the railing and leaned against it. He gazed at the people inside, who were laughing, dancing, and smiling. I turned around as well before looking at him again. "How do you mean?"

"The way people interact differently with everyone. Love, of course, is one of the many things here that confuses me. How- and why- do these feelings develop for certain people? Why is the outerlook such an important factor? Shouldn't it be the personality that counts? I don't understand why so many people get upset when the person they favor doesn't return those feelings. Of course, their friendship will be ruined for a little while, but shouldn't the person receiving the rejection be thankful that the person is being honest, rather than faking their love for them and becoming unhappy in that one-sided relationship?"

I blinked, a bit surprised at his confusion for love. Surely, he must know what it felt like, right? He _was_ human at all. For a minute, I had a tiny doubt nagging in the back of my mind. The way everything seemed so _foreign_ to him should've sent up a few red flags that he wasn't what he seemed. I immediately squashed that thought. He was suffering from memory loss. That could've tampered with his mind. Yeah, that was all. However, that completely unbelievable and irrational thought stayed in the back of my mind.

"W-Well," I started. "Usually, when someone develops certain feelings for someone, it's usually because they appeal to them, the outside appearance included, in most cases. Certain people have certain kinds of people that they usually like. For example, a girl might like guys who are intelligent and funny, so naturally, she'll probably like someone like that. As for the rejection part...well..." I frowned. This was surprisingly hard to explain, but I tried my best to put it into words. "I suppose it's because of the humiliation of having your feelings be turned down. Not only that, but you probably won't be in a relationship with that person like you wanted to. I suppose love _is_ a bit strange after all...was that all you think that's peculiar?" He shook his head.

"The concept of human life was to survive and repopulate at first, I assume, and now the concept is much bigger. Hoping for that one boy to return the feelings you have for them, making money, becoming famous and living comfortably while the less fortunate people have nothing to eat and nowhere to sleep, not safely anyway. As wealthy and strong they are, they don't help the unfortunate. Walking by a starving homeless man without a second thought, the wealthy not caring to stop and help the truly needy and using the majority of the money on usually useless things. Women getting taken advantage of by men, and vice versa. Taking one's life because of the cruelty of others. Stealing hard earned money by force because that person's too lazy to go and earn it. Countries resorting to violence for conflict. Humans are selfish, self-centered beings.

"But still, beyond the greed and cruelty, there's beauty. People volunteering to help the ill and injured, noble humans signing up to protect their country. Building homes for families to live in. Teaching the tiny humans things that are necessary for life. Creating a family and loving the offspring unconditionally. It's peculiar how a world can be so savage, so violent, with greedy and selfish inhabitants, yet be so beautiful and tender and caring at the same time." He paused for a moment, and I realized that I was holding my breath. I exhaled slowly, waiting for him to continue. He looked over at me for the first time since he's gotten to the balcony, his eyes seeming a little too blue to be human for a minute. His bangs were again hanging over his forehead and slightly covering his eyes, but he tilted his head at me, causing some of the strands to be swept away from his eyes. "It's quite peculiar isn't it?" I swallowed thickly, my heart for some reason pounding wildly in my chest.

"U-Um," I stuttered. "Yeah." He chuckled softly.

"Look at me- babbling on. I apologize if you were uncomfortable during that little...speech of mine." He bowed slightly. I put my hands up in a reassuring manner.

"No, no. It's fine." I replied. "That really was quite beautiful...I suppose that it's all true, though. This world is shitty and corrupted, yet beautiful and amazing at the same time. You know, I never know how you can come up with such amazing, deep thoughts. Besides, I can never get tired of hearing you speak. It's calming." I watched as his cheeks turned a very light shade of pink as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Thanks," He muttered. For a moment, we just sat there in silence, enjoying each other's company. I looked at him and noticed the amulet from earlier hanging around his neck.

"You're wearing it?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yeah. I don't know where else to put it. I feel like I need to keep it safe." He explained.

"Ah, I see. It looks nice." I told him. It wasn't a lie, that's for sure. He half smiled and muttered a thanks. Again, it was quiet for a moment, then it was Len's turn to start the conversation.

"...I asked Meiko about that beverage she was drinking." He said. I chuckled and looked at him.

"Yeah? What'd she tell you?"

"She told me to drink some then I'd understand why people get, as she said, 'drunk as fuck'." I bit my lip to avoid laughing out loud and instead trembled with silent laughter.

"And?" I giggled. He frowned.

"I still don't really understand. It taste foul and burned my throat, but I suppose the room got a little warmer after that." He said. I snickered softly.

"How much did you drink?"

"Half a bottle." I choked on air. _This boy never ceases to surprise me,_ I thought.

"Wha- wow. Did you just chug it all down?" I asked. He blinked.

"If you mean 'chug' as drinking it all in one go, then yes." He replied. I studied him. _He seems sober, and not a bit drunk at all. He must be one of those people who can hold their liquor._

We talked for a few hours, and we didn't even realize it until Gumi came and told us that the party was over. "Time flies, huh?" She giggled, looking at the two of us with an unknown twinkle in her eye. "Looks like you two are hittin' it off well." Len nodded.

"Yes. Miku's enjoyable to talk to." Gumi giggled softly.

"Ooh, I see..." She said, grinning. "Well, it's late and everyone's already in bed since we have school tomorrow. I advise you two do, as well. Maybe with each other, if you know where I'm coming from." She winked at me and my face turned scarlet, whereas Len didn't really know what she meant by that.

"Eh?" He said. "I don't get it...is sleeping with someone forbidden?" Gumi snickered as my blush grew brighter.

"Um, well, Gumi was- she- no, it's not illegal, it's just that- um-"

"When people say that they slept together, sometimes they mean that they did the frickle frackle. That's what I was implying." Len tilted his head, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Frickle...frackle?" He said, puzzlement in his voice.

"Yeah. You know, the dirty deed. AKA, baby-making." Len blinked, then realization slowly came to his face.

"You mean...intercourse?" He asked, a blush evident on his cheeks. Gumi nodded. "...Oh." He said in a small voice, looking down at the floor. Gumi chuckled.

"Such innocence. Well, goodnight, all." She said, turning and opening the door. She paused and turned her head to look at us, grinning widely. She winked suggestively. "Also, use protection." She giggled. My jaw dropped, and I immediately grabbed the thing nearest to me, which happened to be a rubber band on my wrist. I shot it at her. She shrieked and ducked, then grinned once more.

"Don't be too loud, you two!" She called as she ran, cackling as she did so. My face burned so much I was afraid that it'd light on fire. For a minute, it was quiet, and then Len finally asked,

"Protection against what?" I buried my face in my hands, blushing harder if that was even possible.

"I-It-It's- um- um- j-ju-just for-forget what sh-she sai-said, y-yeah?" He blinked owlishly at me, but agreed nonetheless. Wordlessly, we both went inside. The lights were still on, and surprisingly, everything was cleaned up. The room was deserted. I turned off the light as we both shuffled upstairs. We stopped at my room.

"Night, Le-" Suddenly, he engulfed me in a hug, effectively cutting me off. I let out a surprised squeak, but hugged him back nonetheless.

"Thank you." He muttered. I blinked as he pulled away.

"F...For what?" I asked. He just flashed me a warm, grateful smile.

"For everything." Before I can say anything, he leaned down and pecked my cheek. "G'night." He said before scampering off to his room. I just stood there for a moment, registering what had just happened. When I finally came out of my shock, I I closed the door to my room silently then changed into my pajamas. I brought a hand up to my cheek, the place where he'd kissed it, and I felt myself blush as I recalled the brief feel of his soft lips gently pressing against my cheek.

I turned off the lights and crawled into bed with a racing heart. _Idiot,_ I thought. _Making my heart accelerate like that. Who does he think he is? Stupid boys._ I brought the covers up to my chin.

 _...He thanked me,_ I thought drowsily. I was getting sleepy, the warm blankets seeming cozy and invited. I snuggled into them further. I smiled softly, thinking right before I succumbed to sleep,

 _How strange that a simple thanks can make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside._ __

 ** _It's only the 5th chapter and I'm already drowning you all in LenKu ehehe. Comments are greatly, hugely appreciated!_**


	7. Chapter 6

_**Miku**_  
"Take a seat, Len. Next to Neru over there." The teacher told Len, nodding toward the empty seat next to Neru. It was Len's first day of school. Finally, after so long, he was enrolled in Crypton high after being accepted as a Vocaloid. He shuffled over there, ignoring everyone's curious gazes, and sat next to the blonde female.

The teacher was quick to move onto the lesson. "Take out your solar system notes from yesterday. We'll be writing more facts about the Earth today." Disappointed groans and the unzipping of bags were heard throughout the room. "And you, Len, just take out a sheet of binder paper. You can record what we cover today." He nodded simply. Neru poked his arm and told him something. He shook his head with a small smile and gave her a reply I couldn't quite hear. I wondered what they were talking about.

"Psst." Kaito whispered to me. "So, I, um, lost my notes." I snorted and rolled my eyes. I didn't even know why I was surprised at this point- Kaito was the least organized person I've ever known and had a habit of losing homework 'accidentally' and forgetting projects. Even so, he surprisingly still got passing grades. I gave him a sheet of binder paper and slid my notes over to him.

"Here, copy 'em." I told Kaito. He smiled brightly.

"You're the best, Miku." He sighed. The compliment made my heart skip a beat and I felt a flush rise to my cheeks.

"Y-You know it." I cursed myself for stuttering like that. While Kaito was copying, I instead decided to focus on the teacher.

"I doubt any of you know," She began, pushing her bangs out of the way, "but what is the diameter of the Earth in kilometers and how far away from the sun is it in miles?" I raised my eyebrows. There was _no way_ anyone knew that. As expected, at first, no hands went up. Even the school brainiac who was at the top of every class, Hiyama Kiyoteru, looked stumped on this question.

But, to my surprise, a hand was raised in the air. I was even more surprised to find that it was Len. The teacher looked doubtful, if not a little astounded. Every head turned to look at Len curiously. "Yes?" The teacher said.

"Earth's diameter is 12,747 kilometers in total. It is 92.96 miles away from the sun." Everyone looked at the teacher for confirmation. Even Kaito had stopped writing to observe the scene. The teacher took a glance at the computer, quiet for a moment, then finally said,

"...Correct." A stunned silence filled the classroom, but Len didn't seem to really notice. "That was completely accurate. Are you cheating? Do you have a phone on you?" Len blinked.

"Cheat?" He repeated. "If you consider using knowledge and nothing else to answer a question that seemed hard, then sure."

* * *

"Dude. I can't _believe_ you answered that correctly!" Kaito said at lunch. "What are you, some mastermind?" I was glad to see that Kaito was getting along with Len a little better than compared to when he first arrived. Len shrugged but said nothing.

"So how's your first day?" I asked him.

"It was okay, I suppose." He replied. "Everyone seems friendly." I smiled softly.

"Yeah? Well, that's good." I said. "I hope you make a lot of friends this year." He blinked, then frowned.

"Eh...I'm not quite sure I know how to interact with people," He mumbled, scratching the back of his neck as Gumi waved us over to her table. We began to walk over there.

"Eh?" I said. "How so? You seem fine right now." Len shrugged.

"It's just that...I don't know? It just feels awkward." He muttered, averting his eyes to the table as we sat down. Gumi grinned.

"Ooh, the two lovebirds came here together? How cute~" Kaito coughed awkwardly from next to me.

"I'm here too, you know..." He told her, eyebrows raised. Gumi blinked, then shrugged as she shoveled spaghetti in her mouth.

"Oh, whoops," She chuckled, her mouth full, "sorry. You and Len getting along?" She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and Kaito let out a displeased grunt.

"You know we have napkins, right?" He snorted, eyeing the white, pristine, unused napkin next to her tray of food. Gumi nodded as she opened a bottle of juice.

"Yeah," She said, grinning. "Its easier to use my hand, though." I snorted at her laziness as I opened a back of chips I got from the vending machine earlier.

"The napkin's literally right next to you. Plus, it's cleaner than using your hand." Gumi shrugged, flicking a lock of green hair away from her face. Gumi didn't have the best of manners, lets just say. From belching loudly without a care in the world and even to chewing with her mouth open for the world to unwillingly see, she did it all. I wondered if she'd eat the same if she were at some fancy party or something. Probably.

"I'm too lazy." She said, simply. She turned to Len, who was quietly observing us the whole time, his food untouched in front of him. She propped her elbows up on the table and rested her chin in her hands. "So, how do you like it here?" She asked. Len shrugged.

"It's okay, I suppose." He answered. "The people seem nice enough." Gumi raised her eyebrows.

"Ha?" She grunted. "I thought everyone here was an asshole, excluding you guys, of course. I dunno, maybe it's just because I hate everyone. Or maybe it's because you're smokin'." Len looked down at himself, a puzzled expression on his face.

"I don't think I'm on fire..." He said bemusedly. Gumi snickered.

"Oh, honey. You're so innocent it's cute." She sighed. She eyed me from the corner of her eye, smiling and whispering not-so-quietly, "he's a keeper, Miku." I shot her a glare. Kaito tensed up next to me.

"Oh, is that a blush?" She cooed, giggling as she observed me with interest.

"No!" I snapped back. "It's not." She raised her eyebrows.

"It totally is."

"It's not, shut up!"

"This mouth of mine will never shut up, Miku dear." She chirped. "But really, I like this guy-" she pointed to Len, who was looking at something else across the room, not paying attention to us at all, "-so don't let your boyfriend here go, yeah?" I hissed.

"He's not-"

"Gumi, it's obvious he and Miku do not have a romantic connection." Kaito said sharply, shocking the both of us. "I think you should quit bothering her about it, because it's obvious Miku doesn't like him in that way." Without waiting for a response, he got up and grabbed his tray.

"I gotta go." He said curtly as he turned and threw his untouched food into the garbage and walked away confidently without looking back. Gumi raised her eyebrows.

"Jealous, are we?" She muttered under her breath. I pretended not to hear and instead focused my gaze on his retreating back.

 _Jealous...?_ I thought somewhat uncertainly. I should be flattered, my heart should be racing, and my stomach should be erupting into butterflies, but none of those things were happening. Why? I pursed my lips.

 _What's wrong with me?_

 _ ***finally updates*  
HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYY GUYS  
So I should've updated sooner. Sorry, sorry. Not a lot of Len/Miku in this chapter, but Len knows a lot about the Earth...what do you guys think that also says about him? And ffffffffuck I'm getting braces soon and they put in the spacers between my teeth so there could be more room for...something and my whole mouth hurts? The fuck?**_

 _ **Ahem. Foul language there. Sorry. So, comments are hugely appreciated so please PLEASE comment (the desperate needy author needs her fuel) what you thought about this chapter and even what you might predict what will happen in the future.  
**_  
 _ **Ciao~**_


	8. Chapter 7

**_Len_**  
 _A few months ago_  
"Hurry!" I hissed at Rin. She nodded as she shoved a table against the door. On the other side, people were furiously banging on it and trying to get in. The door rattled and I practically shoved her down the tunnel. "Ugh..." I mumbled, wincing as I massaged my left arm. It was bleeding, a rather deep cut present and staining my white shirt red. I leaped in the tunnel, gently pulling the bed down on top of it and pulling the carpet over the trap door before closing it and locking it.

"Len? You here?" Rin's voice echoed. I nodded, then realizing that she couldn't see me due to the darkness, replied,

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm here." There was a loud crash from upstairs. They broke the door down already. I could hear the heavy footsteps of men rushing in the room, accompanied by booming voices and the crashing of furniture as they knocked it down, probably looking for us. I stumbled forward, only to bump into Rin. "Go. Go!" I hissed quietly. She complied.

The sound of dirt crunching under my feet as I ran down the tunnel, the ragged and uneven breathing of both Rin and I, and my heart pounding in my ears were all I heard. I gasped as I suddenly fell forward, the sharp pain in my ankle suddenly shooting up my leg. "Fuck!" I cursed. I felt Rin gently prop me against a wall.

"What're you doing? Forget me, keep go-"

"We're far enough!" She insisted. "And I can't leave you like mom and dad!" I paused, my chest aching at the memory. I couldn't do anything to save them. I could've done something, but I didn't. It was my fault. But as of right now, I had bigger matters to attend to. Those traitors were after us. I had to get Rin to safety, even if I couldn't accompany her any further. If I couldn't save my parents, the least I could do is save my twin.

Rin sighed. I couldn't see her face, but I could imagine a worried scowl on her face. "You're hurt, aren't you?" Her voice was at normal level now, concern and slight panic seeping into her voice. I sighed. I couldn't afford to have Rin panic and try to help me, not when they were still after us. They weren't complete mindless brutes- they'd find a way to get in somehow. And when they did...all I wanted was Rin to be safe and far away from here.

There was a sudden orange, yellow-ish light that filled the small tunnel. I blinked and shied away, then looked up at Rin. She was holding a torch in one hand, the end of it lit up by a blazing, bright fire. Her blonde hair was bloodied and dirtied, both bobby pins from one side of her hair gone, the hair that was usually held back falling and covering nearly half of her face. Her black outfit was torn, several cuts and scrapes visible on her body. She looked beat and tired, but even so, determination shone in her diamond-blue eyes.

She knelt down and took my hand, gently taking the sword out of my grasp. She set it next to the stone wall next to me and looked at my leg. She rolled the pant leg up and winced. "Oh..." She mumbled. I struggled to look, but Rin seemed to be blocking the way.

"Is it bad?" I asked. She pursed her lips and sighed shakily.

"N-Nothing I can't fix..." She said, before looking at me with her pained blue eyes. "But this is gonna hurt. A lot."

* * *

I jolted awake, my head shooting up from the dining room table. My heart slammed in my chest and sweat pricked the back of my neck. The difficulty of breathing was strange, and I found myself gasping for air. What was that? Who was that girl? I was already forgetting her name- but I knew she's someone important.

My ankle and leg ached for some odd reason- was it from the dream? That burning, sharp, agonizing pain must have woken me up, but already the details were hazy despite experiencing it just a few minutes ago. I felt a hand gently touch my shoulder and I whipped around, raw fear blooming in my chest.

The fear soon evaporated once I saw a flash of long teal hair. It was just Miku. She studied me, concern evident in her blue eyes. "You okay?" She asked softly. I managed to nod. I feared that if I tried to speak, the words would shrivel up in my throat and die, rendering me speechless. My eyes swept around the room. Meiko and Kaito were playing a game that involved cars and strange-looking characters, both of them yelling frantically. Luka sat next to them, reading a book titled _Tom Sawyer._ The little boy- Oliver- was sitting on the steps, a binder on his lap and pencil in and. Several papers were on the binder- homework, maybe?- and he was peeking curiously at Len. As soon as Len's eyes landed on him, he squeaked shyly and immediately turned his attention back to the paper, writing something down furiously.

"Bad dream?" She asked, pulling out a chair and sitting down. I blinked, debating of whether or not to tell her. The dream had almost completely faded from my mind at this point.

"Uh...yeah." I admitted, deciding to go with the telling the truth. She rested her arms on the table and laced her fingers together. She tilted her head slightly.

"Do you...want to talk about it?" She asked. I chewed my lip. The dream- what was it about again? I knew that I remembered it only a few moments ago, but now the only trace of it was the slight throbbing in my leg and the feeling that someone was in the dream- someone important to me.

"I would, but..." I paused, then shook my head slowly. "I can't remember it." She blinked, as if she didn't believe me. _Does she think I'm lying?_ I thought, a small flutter of self-consciousness making its' presence known in the pit of my stomach. Then she reached over and took my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. A small tinge of pink were present in her cheeks, and I was just...confused. Why was she taking my hand, and why was she blushing? Surely, she has no reason to be embarrassed.

"If you ever need to talk about something, you can always come to me, okay?" She told me. I simply nodded.

"Alright." I replied. "Thanks."

"Also, you seem to be doing well in school," She commented suddenly. I blinked. "You're nearly the top student in academics despite only arriving a few months ago."

"Eh?" I said, dumbly. Miku rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"You haven't heard?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. "You're the talk of the whole school, among teachers _and_ students. You're pretty popular." I scratched the back of my head, wondering where this was headed.

"That's...uhm...good?" I said, but it sounded more like a question than a comment. That would, at least, explain all the people approaching me and trying to start conversations that I would awkwardly try to hold together. I learned that I wasn't a very...social person.

"So to celebrate," Miku continued, "I'm taking you to town."

"Town?"

"Yeah, town." She repeated. "You probably haven't really got a chance to actually roam around. You're like a hermit, you know. You're always cooped up in the mansion, but who am I to judge? I do the exact same, so it'd be healthy for both of us!" Her face was lit up with enthusiasm, her smile and eyes bright. _She seems excited about going into town,_ I noted. I shrugged.

"Sure, okay. When?" She smiled and took my arm, pulling me up. She rushed to the door, grabbing her coat and mine.

"How about now?" She asked, eyes sparkling. I blinked, feeling a slight heat rush to my cheeks. _How cute..._

"Alright." I finally said once I regained my voice.

"Let's go."

 _ **i'M BACKKKK**_ _ **  
**_ _ **yeyyy Rinny made an official-ish appearance! What do you guys think happened in Len's nightmare/flashback? Why do you think they were running, and why do you think the "traitors" as Len had called them were after them? Please comment on what you think of the chapter, I love to hear your theories and what you think about the story!**_

 _ **ciao~**_


	9. Chapter 8

**Len**

The town was more like a city.

I had never really gone into town. I chose to be a shut-in and not interact with other people. All I really needed was Netflix and a good book to keep me entertained. Miku was right- I _was_ a hermit.

Shops were lined up everywhere, next to each other and seeming to never end. A few tall buildings were around, reaching for the blue sky, puffy white clouds present. People bustled by, some holding shopping bags and some stopping to look into the window of a few shops. There wasn't much traffic, but cars zoomed by every now and then. Where the shops finally stopped, there was a bridge that arched over a calm area of water. Some people were in boats, rowing across the fairly large river. There were a couple vendors at the end of a few blocks, selling a variety of things that looked good nonetheless. Miku smiled at me.

"I suppose _city_ kind of fits the description better, don't you think?" She mused. I nodded as I looked around. The town- or city- was quite intriguing. I've seen spectacular cities with the newest of technology and filled with the grandest of people and most would kill to be there, but despite marveling and wondering about them as I stared at the pictures, I'd rather be here. Perhaps it was because of the somewhat lively atmosphere, which buzzed with excitement and happiness. Maybe it was because of the way Miku looked at everything with such a fondness and loveliness in her eyes. I felt a strange feeling in my stomach as I processed the thought. _Am I sick?_ I thought with a frown. The feeling wasn't necessarily painful, just...odd. I was quick to brush it off- it was probably nothing.

"Hm...anything specific you wanna do or see?" Miku asked, setting her gaze upon me. I looked around for a moment, not finding anything that particularly peaked my interest. Finally, after a moment of thought, I shrugged. Miku knew where everything and all the sights- it'd be best to leave it up to the expert.

"Nah. I don't really care what we do." I told her. Miku blinked. A look of thought crossed her face for a minute before she spoke. She voiced several suggestions but immediately shot them down soon after. They all sounded like decent ideas to me. Finally, after five minutes of Miku deciding what we should do with my confirmation, we decided to go shopping.

Which is how I ended up holding a pile of clothes in my arms.

I didn't really mind, though my arms and legs were beginning to get tired from walking around so much with such a large abundance of clothes in my arms. Some of the clothes were mine, but most of it was Miku's. My eyes widened as I learned the price of everything. "T-That's a lot of money..." I told Miku as I took a few bags from her arms. She shrugged, then shot me a toothy grin.

"I suppose I got a bit carried away. Sorry." She apologized sheepishly. The corner of my lips twitched upward.

"It's fine, as long as you're happy." I answered. She smiled brightly at me, then turned away.

"Lets put these in the car." She said. She turned to me, an evil grin on her face. "Ever see a horror movie in theaters?"

* * *

The movie was more stupid than scary. Like the few horror movies that I often watched with Miku and Luka.

I often found myself rolling my eyes and pointing out the flaws in the movie, such as how idiotic the characters were and how predictable the jumpscares were. By logic, if your car breaks down, shouldn't you walk down the road in hopes of finding help rather than taking shelter in an old, abandoned mansion with a 'No trespassing' sign? Rather than hiding in your house while everyone tries to kill each other because it's legal for 12 hours, wouldn't moving out of the country or at least going extremely far from the city be more logical?

Despite the illogic and stupidity of the supernatural horror film, Miku, however, seemed to be scared by the movie rather easily. She'd jump at the jumpscares and let out terrified squeaks while clinging to my arm as if her life depended on it. Somehow, I wasn't too surprised by this. Miku tended to be scared quite easily when she's averted her full attention on something.

"Maybe that wasn't such a good idea...I thought you'd be scared, but it looks like that plan backfired on me..." Miku said as we walked down the street. We could've driven around instead, but Miku insisted that we get some exercise and that walking around is classier. Miku also claimed that she knew the town like the back of her hand, which I highly doubted. Like me, she didn't go out of the house often.

"You're easily scared." I pointed out. Miku immediately protested.

"I am not!" She denied.

"Whatever you say." I replied, slightly amused. I stopped walking, a very large crowd of people in the surprisingly nearly empty mall parking lot catching my eye. The sound of classical music floated through the air despite the odd setting. There were a few cameramen in the crowds of people, filming something in the center. Miku frowned and followed my gaze.

"What's going on over there?" She asked. I shrugged.

"No clue. Lets check it out. If there are camera men there, it can't be that bad, right?" I said. She nodded, and we made our way through the crowd. The music instead got louder and the soft sounds of people laughing and talking grew louder as I neared. I looked up and managed to get a glimpse of what was happening.

In the middle, there were several men in tuxedos playing expensive-looking instruments. A few couples danced around them. I assumed that they were attempting to dance like they were at a ball or something, but they obviously had no experience in doing so. They'd step on each other's feet and burst out into giggles and usually went out of sync. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as Miku stood up on her tiptoes, then deciding that she still couldn't see over the ocean of people, started jumping up, her teal hair bouncing up and down as she attempted to take a peek at what was going on.

"I can't see!" She whined, sounding like a little kid. "What's going on?" The woman in front of us turned. She was rather tall with dark ebony hair and tired brown eyes.

"Some of the town musicians are performing are both earning a bit of extra money and doing a sort of experiment." She explained. "They're trying to bring the town's spirits up by playing music here. People have even started dancing for fun, drawing both the crowd and the news reporters."

"They're horrible...but they're having fun?" I muttered. I didn't know exactly what it was, but something told me that wherever the hell I came from, getting something wrong could be punishable and was not a laughing matter at all. But maybe that was just my mindset, and not from my experiences that I couldn't remember.

"I wish I wasn't so short...whatever it is, it sounds fun..." Miku mumbled, pouting and crossing her arms. I blinked, then grabbed her hand and made my way through the crowd until we were near the middle, where a few of the couples danced.

"W-Wha-" Miku sputtered, her cheeks painted red. I smiled cheekily at her.

"You said it sounded fun, didn't you?" I told her as I put her hand on my shoulder. I put my hand on her back and took her hand in my other one.

"L-Len, I dunno how to dance!" I smiled at her and we began dancing. My movements were smooth and experienced, whereas Miku's were inexperienced. She stumbled as she tried to keep up with me and I decided to slow down a bit- I almost forgot she wasn't experienced in this kind of dancing.

"That's what makes it fun." I told her with a chuckle. We weren't wearing proper dancing shoes or clothes and the ground was rocky and bumpy and my partner was a blushing mess, but somehow it all seemed to perfect. I wondered why as the strange feeling from before suddenly appeared without warning. It was a feeling similar to when I went on a rollercoaster and we were just about to drop down- but nothing particularly exciting or scary was happening.

Miku stepped on my foot and winced. "Sorry..." She muttered. "Since when did you know how to dance anyways?" She asked, giving me a curious look. I shrugged.

"I dunno." I honestly answered. "Try following my lead?" She nodded.

"Alright. Got it." She said. "I'll try not to step on your foot with my freakishly big feet." I rolled my eyes. Miku had one of the smallest feet I've seen, probably because she was so short and petite. Not that I was a creep with a foot fetish or anything- she sometimes walks around the mansion with no socks on.

"Getting the hang of it?" I asked. She had finally stopped stumbling around like a drunk person that was also on every drug there was, but we still weren't in sync.

"A bit." She replied. "I finally got over my shock of being pulled in here and being forced dance with a ton of people watching. Plus cameramen." She shot me a playful glare and I grinned again.

"Ah, don't pretend you're not enjoying it." I mused. She scoffed and looked away, fixing her gaze somewhere over my shoulder.

"Yo-You're such an idiot," She grumbled, earning a hearty laugh from me.

"But I'm a lovable idiot."

* * *

The blonde girl stumbled, her clothes torn and her body being weighed down by exhaustion. Her bare feet were scratched and dirtied, having walked nearly two miles to reach civilization. She at some city-type of place. It was night, the sky pure black and the stars twinkling above. The streets were empty, not a person to be seen and not a car to be found driving about.

Rin tripped and fell with a small cry, scraping her knees on the hard and rough concrete. She crawled to the wall of a closed shop and leaned against it to examine her damaged knees. The fall was hard enough to draw blood from her left knee, but not her right.

She tore a piece of her dress off- the thing was already falling apart anyways- and tied it around the bleeding knee. She could only hope that it didn't get infected. She brushed her blonde hair away from her face only to have it come back again, covering one of her eyes. She sighed. _I hate having no bobby pins on me..._ She thought sourly as she stood shakily.

There was a sound behind her and she spun around quickly, so quickly that she almost fell. Her heart hammered in her chest as her blue eyes scanned the deserted area around her. And she began to walk the other way, because no way in hell she was dumb enough to investigate it.

She heard another noise- like the sound of a pebble being kicked her way. She walked faster.

She heard the noise again. She broke out into a sprint this time, not taking any chances on staying behind to be caught by whatever or whoever was stalking her.

Maybe she was being paranoid, but after what had recently happened to her, who wouldn't be? Her vision swayed and spots danced in her vision, her legs feeling like they could- and _would_ \- give out any second. She stopped, finally, around the corner and leaned against the wall for support, breathing heavily.

 _I should be far enough now,_ she thought. She put her hand in her pocket to ensure that it was still there. If she lost it, then there'd be no way of saving Len without going back to that dreaded place. Her worries about losing it eased when she felt it in her pocket, and she sighed, only to hear a loud noise from behind her.

However, it wasn't from the direction she was running from. She turned, expecting to find that horrid man followed by a few of his soldiers.

What stood in front of her, instead, was far more surprising.

A small, cute looking, black animal with white spots and fluffy fur and piercing green eyes.

Rin racked her brain for the name of this animal- she knew it wasn't harmless, as humans usually kept it as a pet. It meowed at her and hesitantly walked her way. Rin snapped her fingers.

"Cat!" She said triumphantly. "That's what they're called!" The cat rubbed itself against her leg, emitting a soft vibrating sound. She smiled and bent down to rub the cat behind its ears. It let out another mew, its tail flicking back and forth. It looked at the cloth tied to her left knee, then up at her.

It headbutted her knee gently and Rin winced at the slight stinging sensation. It mewed at her again before beginning to walk away. It looked back at her, and seeing that she wasn't moving, walked toward her and lightly bit the end of her dress and pulled before letting go.

Rin was slightly hesitant to follow it, but did so anyways. She was just about ready to collapse from exhaustion. She could barely lift her feet and she hadn't eaten or had a drink ever since she escaped, and that was hours ago. With every passing minute, she got even more tired.

She stopped in front of a small, cute looking house with nice, cut green grass in front and a small garden of colorful flowers. The cat pawed at the dark oak door while meowing loudly and impatiently. Rin peeked inside the house through the window.

The interior was strange and inside something played on the television. She squinted. The word 'Live' was in the upper right corner and it showed people dancing. Then there was a close up of two people.

The shorter of the two was a girl with long, teal hair that Rin found quite unusual for a human. She wasn't as graceful as her partner. Rin's eyes widened and she gasped quietly as she processed the familiar head of messy blonde hair, warm blue eyes, and that stupid, mischievous smile.

"Len..." She quietly whispered, feeling her chest tighten upon seeing that her brother was, in fact, on this planet. Just then, the door opened.

"Jeez, calm down, Misty-" It was a male about the age of at least 15 with snowy white hair that went to his chin. Curiously, his left eye was blue, but his right eye was green. Rin's stomach churned as the human stared at her, her legs feeling like they were about to give out for real. He blinked, took in her appearance, then his eyes widened.

"My god, are you okay?!" He said, giving her a look of concern. Rin opened her mouth to speak, but found that she couldn't.

All she remembered was falling forward, the surprised cries of the man ringing in her ears, and her world being swallowed by an inky blackness.


	10. Chapter 9

_**Len**_  
"Len? Hey, Earth to Len!" Len was snapped out of his daze when he noticed a hand waving in front of his face. He blinked, then looked at the owner. Gumi frowned, giving him a worried look. "One too many drinks last night, eh?" Len blinked and looked at the girl and gave a weak smile. He was sure that he had the right amount glasses of water the previous night, but he figured that Gumi wasn't talking about that.

"Yeah, guess so." He agreed, though he didn't completely understand what it meant. Ever since last night, he's been feeling...off. He wasn't sure exactly what it was. It wasn't necessarily a bad feeling that rested in his gut, but it wasn't exactly normal either. He found it hard to concentrate on anything. Everything felt like a blur- unfocused, unclear, and confusing.

 _Am I sick?_ He thought to himself. Perhaps this was a normal thing that happened to everyone sometimes. Maybe he didn't get enough sleep or something. He thought about telling the others about this strange feeling, but decided against it. He didn't want them to worry over something small and unimportant. Kaito gave him a strange glance but said nothing.

"Okay, then..." Gumi said, her voice holding the smallest hint of suspicion and worry. Len smiled at her, reassurance shining in his eyes. "Ah, where was I? Oh, right. So then Taehyung was _definitely_ checking Jungkook out and..." Len chose to tune the rest of it out, not really caring about the two exchange students from a country called South Korea. Len's eyes drifted to the window next to him and cast a look outside.

It was a beautiful sunny day. The leaves and grass were green and vibrant. The clouds in the sky were puffy and loomed against the land, some of it casting shadows over trees and the mountains in the distance. Other clouds were scattered and thin, like if someone took a cotton ball and ripped it apart. Just outside the window, a burst of beautiful and colorful flowers covered the bottom half of the window, leaving the viewer only able to look at the sky and a bit of the trees and mountains from the top of the window. A small bird (a hummingbird, if Len recalled correctly) zoomed by, then stopped at the bush and stuck its' long beak into the flower.  
For some reason, Len felt...

Disgusted.

No, it wasn't because of his queasy stomach.

It wasn't exactly the hate kind of disgust either. Len rested his cheek on his palm and calculated the outside world, what everyone would regard as a gorgeous setting.

Something felt sickening wrong, but Len couldn't quite figure out what it was.

Perhaps it was the fact that life on this planet was starting to reach the beginning of chaos?  
No, it wasn't that. Len sighed quietly and tore his eyes away from the window, preferring to ignore the feeling. Maybe it would go away soon. His eyes wandered elsewhere shortly after, trying to disable the sudden rush of restlessness and anxiousness he felt. He told himself it was nothing.

Sitting on the staircase was Oliver, the young boy who seemed a bit bashful around Len. He held a pencil in his left hand and in his lap was a binder with a packet on it. He looked confused and concentrated and Len, deciding that maybe helping the poor boy would make him feel better, got up and sat beside him on the staircase.

Maybe it was a selfish reason, helping another just because he hoped to get rid of an unknown and unpleasant and rather unsettling feeling within him, but he also felt like he should get closer to Oliver. Len was going to be staying at the mansion for a while, after all. It'd be best to get friendly with the occupants.

But, like everything, there was a downside. If Len were to suddenly regain his memory and run off to wherever the hell he came from, or if some random assholes in suits or something came to take him away somewhere, the pain from leaving those that he befriended would be anything but light.

Nonetheless, Len decided that it was already too late- he liked most of the occupants of the mansion quite a bit.

"You looked troubled." Len pointed out. Oliver jumped upon hearing Len's voice, his eyes widening when he saw the fellow blonde sitting right next to him.

"I-I'm no-not." Oliver stuttered. "It's easy..." Len raised his eyebrows and rested his elbow on his knee, his chin in the palm of his hand.

"Why the long face, then?" Oliver paused, then sighed. He stared down at his paper with a look of distress.

"A girl confessed to me today." Len blinked, squinting in confusion.

"What? Isn't that considered a good thing?" Len asked. He was puzzled as to why he would be troubled by this. He knew that it usually made boys happy when they received a confession from a girl. Oliver sighed.

"It would be if I actually liked her." He said sullenly. He sighed. "I like someone else. Everyone else has been telling me to give her a chance, but I...just can't."

"Try...try telling her you don't return her feelings, but you wish to remain friends?" Len suggested. Oliver shook his head.

"That's easier said than done..." He mumbled. "I can't do it so coldly. What do I do...? I don't want to go out with her, but...maybe that's me being selfish." Len gave the younger a sympathetic look.

"That isn't being selfish." Len told him. "What's the point of being in a relationship if the feelings aren't returned? It'll be one-sided, so spare her the greater pain by going with what you think is right. She chose to take that risk, but at least she'll know the truth. Don't lead her on, Oliver. She should understand and respect your feelings."

Oliver paused, letting Len's words sink in. "I...I suppose you're right." He said. "It'd be cruel of me...thanks, bro. I guess I'll text her-"

Len shook his head.

"Tell her in person." Len advised. Oliver paled slightly. "It's more...genuine, and it shows you care a lot more than a text message would." Oliver nodded and sighed.

"Yeah...jeez, you're good at this." Oliver mused. "Giving advice, I mean. You should replace Dr. Phil." Len tilted his head in confusion.

"Who is Dr. Phil?"

Oliver looked at him in shock. "He's- oh, nevermind. I guess we should watch some great shows to get you educated. How do you feel about zombies?"

"Zombies?"

"Yeah. You know, dead people that come back to life."

"I don't understand...how would that be a problem?"

"Well, they're still dead when they come back to life."

"What? But if they come back to life, shouldn't they be alive? I'm confused."

"No. No, no, Len. It doesn't-" Oliver sighed. "I'll explain later."

"Okay." He said. Len stood up. "I should probably-" He cut himself off suddenly when a loud, constant ring suddenly sliced through the silence, accompanied by the sick feeling in his stomach to intensify. It had gone away when he spoke to Oliver, but now it hit him like a train. The dizziness and pounding, horrible headache made it worse.

"Len? Man, you ok?" Oliver's voice was distorted. Len could barely hear it over the ringing, which was growing louder and louder. The gem on the necklace he wore grew hot.

"I'm ok..." Len mumbled. He stepped off a stair, but nearly fell. He stumbled forth, managing to somehow regain his balance right before he crashed to the ground.

"No you're not, you look like crap. Lets...uh...let's get you to your room and get Luka, okay? She knows a lot about medical stuff." Oliver stood up and gently grabbed the Kagamine's arm. The ringing noise was unbearable, and he felt...numb?

Was that the right word?

He felt like he couldn't feel, but he could. It was strange. His legs gave away under him. His heart was beating unusually fast, and the room felt too hot. He vaguely heard the sound of chairs scraping across the floor and distorted voices.

Then, for a minute, he saw something.

He didn't know what it was.

Or, who, to be exact.

It was a girl.

She had short blonde hair and she wore something on her head. It looked like something royalty would wear, but Len didn't see anything like it on the internet. It sprouted from behind her ears, starting off as a thin line, then twisting together to make a rather strange pattern. The part on top of her head had gems embedded in them, the biggest one being the one that looked identical to the one Len wore around his neck. The strange crown-like thing also went down, wrapping itself loosely around her neck to form a strange necklace.

She wore fingerless gloves, the fingertips a fiery red, then the rest turning white. Vine-like things came from the gloves and wrapped around her arm, though this was only on her left arm. Her went to her knees, and it was a rather strange design. It was white, the ends of it turning black. It had thin straps, and a little bit further down from the straps was a thicker kind of accessory. Cloth that looked softer than silk sported from the thicker straps, falling elegantly before coming together to be connected to her belt from the back, which was golden and thin. It wrapped around her petite waist and there was strange writing on it. Her shoes were heels, and the only thing that wasn't white or gold. They were crimson red with splotches of black on them. In the splotches of black was a small, tiny dot of an angry pulsing orange-red-yellow mix.  
She looked uncomfortable, but she smiled anyways, then she turned to look at Len.

Then, it all went black.

 **ayooo so i'm back from the dead, and as promised, Ollie got some screentime 3**

 **anyways i gotta Luhan so im gonna make this quick, comments are greatly appreciate it, so please do because i live off that stuff**

 **kthxbye ily**


	11. Chapter 10

_Tick. Tick. Tick._

The white haired boy looked over the blonde girl worriedly, elbow digging into his knee almost painfully, thumbnail finding its' way wedged between the pristine teeth that was as white as his hair. It was a bad habit, nailbiting, but he couldn't help it; he was so nervous that his New Year's resolution of putting an end to his awful habits didn't come to his mind at the time.

 _Tick. Tick. Tick._

Time seemed to lag and drag on endlessly. Seconds turned to minutes, minutes to hours, hours to days of an eternal, unmoving, tense hellzone. He felt like he was in physics class, listening to his teacher drone on and on in his montone and calm, steady voice that made an hour seem like a trillion.

 _Tick. Tick. Tick._

 _Oh, sweet Mary,_ the boy thought suddenly, his teeth stopping just as they were about to mercilessly chomp down onto his poor, abused nail, _what if she's dead? Or some freaky serial killer that wears skinsuits of her victims?_

His panicked thoughts, no doubt from watching one too many horror movies, were irrational, he realized, but it didn't stop him from making up various scenarios about who the girl laying on his bed at 3 a.m, unconscious for several hours and all dirty and worn out, could be and how she got to where she was. Specifically, why she chose _his_ house to be the one to come to. Why couldn't she go next door to his ladykiller, insanely handsome neighbor? Or the middle aged friendly nurse that had a love for dogs on the other side of the house?

Why, _why_ did she have to come to the awkward, alone at home for a few weeks, teenage boy's home?

While said awkward teenage boy was in the middle of making completely insane and irrational conspiracy theories and chewing brutally on his nails unconsciously, Rin opened her bluer-than-blue eyes only to be greeted with the familiar sensation of laying on a nice, large, soft bed with a thin blanket thrown over her petite, tired body.

A few seconds later, something leaped onto the bed, making it dip due to the weight of the living creature. Rin heard something nearby and immediately tensed.

It was a soft, nearly inaudible. It reminded Rin of the gentle quakes her home planet often received- gentle and tender, soft, and rumbling so quietly and melodically that it could lull a young infant to sleep.

Her eyes landed on the same black and white colored cat she saw before blacking out. It stared at her with curious, piercing emerald eyes before closing its eyes contently. _Purring. Displaying content. Cats do this._ She relaxed.

Rin racked her brain for memories before she lost consciousness.

She heard of her brother's escape. Supposedly, he had been shot by one of those fancy memory blocker things, which was why she was so hell bent on escape, more than usual. The pill, though in a small pack, felt heavy against her front pocket. It was the key to her brother's memories, and maybe the only one. If she had lost it somewhere...

Rin faltered. _At least I know I have it with me right now._ This thought is what helped calm Rin, making the tension that had entered her body upon the thought of losing her brother's memory loss remedy disappear instantly. She felt a pressure on her leg and looked at it, alarmed.

The cat stepped on her thigh, making its way to her stomach. It stood there for a bit, lookig down at Rin with content, closed eyes before laying down and curling up in a small ball of fluff. She let the corners of her lips turn upward- they had creatures on her planet, as cute as these ones, but she had to admit that she'd take a million cats home given the opportunity.

The cat. _The cat that led me to discover my brother, memory wiped in this town, dancing with-_

"Ah, jeez, Mel, get off of h-"

Rin sat up abruptly, eyes wide in realization. The white haired boy let out a surprised screech and dropped the cat he held. The cat let out an irritated yowl and scurried off elsewhere, tiny paws pounding lightly against the polished hardwood floor and fading away into a quiet thud of paws hitting the floor, eventually turning to silence.

 _-a girl who he looked so warmly and lovingly at._

"Nuggets on a stick!" The boy gasped out, vivid torquoise orbs going wide and meeting with Rin's royal blue ones.

"I- uh, where?" Rin muttered, feeling slightly dizzy from sitting up so quickly. The boy reached his hand to her shoulder, then stopped and put his hand back in one completely awkward moment that made him want to die on the inside.

"My- uh, house?" He answered almost questioningly. "You kinda, uh, collapsed...so...that happened." He cleared his throat. The silence between the two was tense.

"By the way, who- who are you, exactly?"

"I'm Rin Kagamine of-" Rin stopped herself abruptly. She can't simply explain that she was one of the next rulers of a distant planet. _I'd be placed in the- what is it? Looney bin? Mad house? I think it is._

"I, uh..." Rin cleared her throat and forced a look of confusion and concentration on her face. "Can't...recall."

The boy blinked "Wait, so you have amnesia? I should take you to the police- maybe you're a missing person?" Rin shook head frantically.

"No! No. I just..." She trailed off, letting a moment of silence envelope them. _Be convincing,_ Rin told herself. _I didn't pass theater only to not put my skills to use._

"I...don't want to be some Jane Doe." Rin quietly continued. "I mean, what if I- I'm some kind of...I don't even know. Re-refugee? Prisoner? I don't want to be...that public yet. I- maybe, I can get my memories back?" Rin offered, managing to slide some hopefulness in her voice. The boy's eyes turned softer with consideration and sympathy.

"And...I think my brother is here." She said truthfully, though she already _knew_ he was present in the town. "All I know is my name and age and that I have a brother named Len Kagamine, who might be in this town." The boy shifted in his seat.

"Alright, I won't contact authorities...I guess." He mumbled, scratching his ear sheepishly. "Uh- what're gonna...do? Until your memories come back or...whatever." He asked. Rin thought for a moment. What could she do? She didn't know anyone in the town she currently resided in, and she didn't have the faintest clue as to exactly where her brother could be hiding. So far, she only had one lead- the video of her brother, live, from at least a day ago, before she fainted.

She got an idea, then, and maybe it was a little far-fetched, but what harm could it do? Besides, she'd be needing a place to stay and a guide for the town and the normal customs of Earth. Though she was well-educated about the strange ways of the humans, who were very close in relation to Rin's species, writing a 20 paged essay about them and their world was far easier than simply acting it out naturally, as if she was a normal citizen in the town and not some alien from a distant planet.

"I suppose I should get to know the town more- maybe a few other things I forgot, like...stuff from around here." The boy blinked. "You know. Customs. Food. Why things work. That type of stuff." He gave her a quizzical look before shrugging.

"I- I guess that's normal for an amnesia patient." He mumbled. He looked at her with thoughtful, if not vaguely worried, blue eyes. "Where will you stay?"

Rin paused. "I know it's not my place to ask. In fact, it's far too much of me to ask this, but...can I stay...here, for a bit?" The boy's eyes went wide, panicked, almost.

"W-What?!"

"P-Please, only for a few da-"

"I-I'm fine with it, I'm ju-just surprised!" The boy quickly explained. Rin raised an eyebrow at his unusual behavior. She knew that, like her people, humans did not all act in the exact same way. In fact, most were different. Some celebrated this, others did not. Of course, that was to be expected when such diverse personalities were involved.

"My uncle's out of town for a bit, anyways..." He mumbled, scratching the back of his neck. He looked down to the floor. The surprisingly clean and polished floor was pristine and unblemished, seemingly having been spared by the harsh scraping of a chair against the bare floor or other scratches through careful, cautious care. Rin, while studying the amazingly clean floor, realized the strange feeling on her knee. The strip of cloth that she tied to her scrape wound wasn't there, because she didn't feel the pressure of the tightly tied makeshift bandage around her leg. She looked down at her knee, where a pink strip decorated with flowers and a strange looking pink star-shaped cartoon character smiling at the viewer toothily stuck.

Another strip stuck to her skin from under the pink one, this one baby blue and showing what appeared to be a cartoon squirrel in an- astronaut costume?

Rin stared at the strips, puzzled. The boy noticed this and offered an almost apologetic smile. "Sorry. All I had were Spongebob band-aids..."

"Spogebob? Band-aids?" She asked in a questioning tone. He nodded.

"Yeah...band-aids. You put them on scrapes and cuts and it helps stop the bleeding." Rin blinked. She didn't have band-aids on her planet- not those kind, anyways. When a person was cut or hurt, the wound was often smothered in a pain relief creme that helped the regeneration process move quickly. Though when these were not present, one would usually tightly wrap a cloth around the wound.

"And...Spongebob?"

The boy's eyes widened almost comically. He stared at Rin as if she had just revealed her true identity and reason for being in town. "You haven't seen it?!"

"No..."

He sighed and put his head in his hands, obviously distressed at the news. "Amnesia really sucks ass..." He mumbled, a disappointed tone lurking, hiding in his voice. "I'm definitely showing you my favorite episodes- Frankendoodle, Band Geeks, The Camping Episode, Survival of the Idiots, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy III- all the good, classic stuff. If- If you're alright with watching cartoons, I mean." The boy stammered, his excited look disappearing and being replaced with a somewhat embarrassed one as he added the last part quickly

Rin smiled. The boy with snowy hair- whatever his name may be- seemed rather pleasant to be around. _He can surely help me find Len,_ she confidently thought, _all while being an enjoyable companion._ "Of course. This 'Spongebob' sounds amusing. I'd like to watch it with you some time." The boy turned a shade of light pink, making Rin's smile stretch wider at his cuteness.

"Y-Yeah," He muttered, scratching his ear and looking to his left. "I-I'm, uh, Piko. Piko Utatane." He held his hand out, his head down so that Rin was staring at the top of his head. Rin blinked. _Ah. A sign of...greeting? Meeting someone knew_ , Rin recalled silently. _Sort of like royalty's greetings._ On her planet, it was usually tradition if, when some form of royalty met another, that the two clash swords, or daggers. Rin realized that on this planet, that may be a little strange, as carrying swords and daggers around cities was uncommon and apparently outlawed, whereas where she was from, royalty was supposed to carry many forms of weapons, typically the traditional sword or knife, or sometimes a shooting device.

Rin gave a somewhat sad smile and shook his hand, feeling nostalgic. What she would give for one more sword-clash, though she often found the custom unnecessary when experienced.

She just wanted to go home, but she wouldn't go back without her brother.


End file.
